Lost and Found
by rainshadow22142
Summary: Naomi has been taken from Gotham, but life must go on. The Team grows, relationships blossom, and new adversary Daisy surfaces to challenge not only the young heroes but Batman specifically. Earth's Heroes are stretched thin, trying to balance finding their lost teammate with protecting their cities and trying to uncover the Light's sinister plot. Sequel to Demon Queen. [ON HIATUS]
1. The Day After

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Look who's back!**

 **I had a sudden burst of inspiration and have written about eight chapters of this so far and I decided to post the first chapter! However, since I am still in the early stages of writing this, I don't expect to be updating super frequently, so please, hang in there!**

 **Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

Previously _on Demon Queen:_

 ** _Gotham City  
Tuesday, January 11, 2011  
0233 EST_**

 _Bruce's eyes snapped open. For a moment, he lay in bed, a feeling of dream pooling in his stomach. He jumped out of bed and raced out of his bedroom, not even bothering to put on shoes or a robe. He took the stairs behind his office bookcase, too impatient for the old elevator in the parlor room._

 _He reached the bottom of the staircase and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the main screen of the Batcomputer and it took Bruce a moment to register the words that flashed across the screen._

SIGNAL LOST: NAOMI CHARLOTTE SANDERS.

* * *

0o0

PART I: LOST

0o0

* * *

 **The Batcave  
Tuesday, January 11, 2011  
0647 EST**

Alfred found Bruce on his knees at the bottom of the staircase in just his sleeping pants and a thin T-shirt. He took one look at the screen and knew what had happened.

"Oh, Master Bruce," Alfred said heavily as he stood beside him. "I am so sorry."

When Dick entered the kitchen an hour later, he glanced around in confusion. "Where's Bruce?" he asked Alfred. It was Tuesday morning, and breakfast was the one meal Dick could count on when it came to meals with Bruce.

Alfred glanced away from the stove. "Perhaps you should visit the basement, Master Dick," he said. "I believe there is something you should see."

Dick hesitated, Alfred's tone unsettling him. It was so...flat. And Alfred wasn't the kind of butler who spoke in a monotone and refused to speak his mind.

"Okay," Dick said slowly. He went to the elevator and when he landed, he found Bruce staring blankly at the megascreen. "Bruce?" he asked hesitantly as he slowly approached his father and mentor. "What's going on?"

Bruce spun in his chair to face his son, and Dick's eyes widened at the empty look in Bruce's. "It's Naomi," he said finally. "She's...gone."

"Gone?" Dick asked. "Weren't you tracking her?"

Bruce tapped something on the keyboard and the words came flashing back.

"Oh," Dick said softly. After he had found out about Naomi, he had learned that Bruce had, with her permission, implanted a tracker just under the skin of her left forearm. And it was one of Bruce's pieces of technology, so if there was no signal, then something must have gone wrong.

"What happened?" he asked, approaching Bruce. Both stared at the screen, unable to look away.

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before hitting a button, relieving them of those haunting words. "According to the computer, her transmission was lost around eleven p.m. last night," he said. "Her last known location was at Vauxhall. She went to a symphony concert with her friends. They drove home separately. Naomi never made it. Her car is still in the parking structure."

"So...how did they find the tracer?"

"I don't know," Bruce groaned. "That chip was supposed to be undetectable."

"Have you told the Scotts?"

"I called them earlier. I told them we'd do our best to find her, and we worked on a cover story for her."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "What's the cover story?"

"We're telling everyone she's in Europe, studying abroad," Bruce said. "I know it's not the best story, but it will explain why she's 'disappeared' and why she can't be contacted. It also helped it's still the holidays, so we don't have to answer the question, 'Why did she leave in the middle of the semester.'"

Dick only nodded in response. He glanced at the clock on one of the monitors just then and exclaimed, "You'll be late!"

Bruce shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "I took the day off," he said. "I need...time."

"Makes sense," Dick said lamely. "What will we tell Kaldur and the rest of the Team?" he asked, the realization of having to go on missions with Naomi dawning on him.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But for right now, I don't want you telling them."

Dick's mouth dropped open at Bruce's response. "They'r her family, too!" he exclaimed. "They deserve to know what happened to her!"

"Not yet!" Bruce snapped, scowling at his son, though almost immediately his gaze softened. "I don't want everyone to know I failed to do what I _swore_ I would do: protect Gotham and her people."

"I get it," Dick said softly. "Believe me, I do. I _hate_ being proved wrong and I _hate_ needing or even asking for help. But this is too big a problem to deal with by ourselves." Bruce only grunted in response.

Dick tugged at the hem of his shirt uncertainly before clearing his throat and saying, "I haven't eaten yet. Will you be coming up?"

"In a bit," Bruce said, not looking at him. Dick nodded again before heading upstairs.

"Shall I start breakfast now, Master Dick?" Alfred asked once Dick appeared.

"For me," Dick said. "I'm not sure when Bruce will be here."

"Very good, Sir," Alfred said before he set to work on breakfast.

Dick slouched at the kitchen island and ran his hands through his hair. "I can't believe she's gone," he said, mostly to himself. "And I can't believe I never got to tell her that I don't _actually_ hate her."

"Chin up, Master Dick," Alfred said. "She knows how you feel. And I know she feels the same."

"But I never got to say it," she sighed. "She never got the chance to actually _hear_ me say that I think of her as my sister and I love her for that."

He sighed again before resting his cheek on the cool granite surface. "We'll get her back, won't we?"

"Of course!" Alfred said confidently. "If I know Master Bruce–-and I do believe I do–-he will stop at nothing before Miss Naomi is back with us, safe and sound."

Dick smiled a little. It was true: Bruce would do anything for those he loved.

After breakfast, Dick went upstairs. The first thing he had been sorely tempted to do was call Wally and then Kaldur and tell them everything that had happened. And while Bruce's orders usually went unheeded, this time Dick listened.

Part of him felt the responsibility of losing Naomi. He too had promised to keep her safe, that nothing was going to happen to her, that she wouldn't be taken back by that monster in human skin. But he had failed. Just as Bruce had. And like Bruce, he didn't want to rely on anyone else to get his sister back. She was one of their own, which meant she was their responsibility.

Dick didn't speak to anyone on the Team the rest of the day, fearful he'd accidentally let something slip. Instead, he sat on his bed with his laptop and began making algorithms to triangulate the Academy's most likely location.

Hours later, Dick flopped back in his bed with a groan. He might have been an excellent hacker, but he honestly had no idea how to create a reliable program. Everything he had tried so far either hadn't worked at all or given him a location that was way different than the few hints Naomi had dropped over the previous year.

With a sigh, he shut his laptop and headed downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, Alfred was nearly done with dinner.

"Ah, Master Dick," Alfred said when he saw who it was. "I was just about to ring you."

"Where's Bruce?" Dick asked as he sat at the kitchen island.

"Still in the Batcave, I'm afraid," Alfred sighed. "He hasn't budged one inch."

"I suppose it's no use talking to him," Dick said, raising an eyebrow. His eyes widened suddenly as something came to mind. He bolted down to the Batcave, leaving Alfred to stare questioningly after him.

Dick made his way down to the Batcave, where Bruce was still brooding in front of the computer.

"I just remembered something," he said, and Bruce whirled around in his chair. Dick hurried to his belt, which hung beside his cleaned uniform. He riffled through the compartments until he came up with a slim dark object in his fingers.

"Naomi gave this to me the night we were on the Watchtower," Dick explained as he passed it to Bruce. "She asked me to give this to you in case anything happened toher. She wanted everyone to know the truth about her."

Bruce took the dark purple flashdrive–-the same shade as the accent color in her uniform–-from his son's grasp and inserted it into the Batcomputer. The name, _Naomi's Deepest Darkest Secrets_ , appeared in the computer folder, and Bruce couldn't help but snort as he opened it; Naomi could be quite dramatic if she wished.

"Whoa..." Dick breathed out softly as the file opened to reveal about two dozen folders, each meticulously labeled.

Bruce sat back in his chair, his fingers stroking his chin in thought. He took a deep breath before saying, "Better get started."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed!**

 **I'd love to hear what you think about the first chapter, so leave a comment below!**

 **Until next time.**


	2. New Recruits

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **I am having way more fun writing this than I thought, tbh. I mean, I always knew where I wanted to take the story, but now that I've finally figured out how to write it, I can't wait for you guys to read it!**

* * *

 **The Batcave  
Saturday, January 15, 2011  
1132 EST**

Bruce watched Guy Gardner's name flash across the screen of the Batcomputer for a minute before sighing and answering.

"What?" he asked in his Batman voice.

"I hate to be a nag–-" _Liar_ , Bruce thought–-"but Alex has been bugging me about that spot on the Team."

"I'm sure he has," Batman muttered. _More like Gardner's trying to push up his own induction to the League_. He sighed and said, "Look, the Team is meeting today for a training session with Black Canary. If he's interested, I'm sure Canary will be more than happy to let him sit in."

"Sounds good!" Guy said brightly. "Should we meet you there, or..."

"No," Batman said shortly. "I'll send you coordinates. Go to them. I'll meet you there."

"Oo-kay," Guy said uncertainly. "See you in a few!"

He hung up as Dick joined him.

"Who was that?" he asked as he hooked his sunglasses to the collar of his shirt.

"Guy Gardner," Bruce sighed, leaning back in his chair. "He's been bugging me since Alex met Naomi."

"Is he joining the Team?" Dick asked.

"Most likely," Bruce said with a nod.

"It'll be nice to have our own G.L.," Dick added optimistically.

Bruce only grunted in response before glancing at the clock on the computer and sighing again. "I told Gardner I'd let Alex sit in during training today. I need to get him. You go on ahead and let Dinah know she'll have a guest."

"Will do." Dick nodded before jogging to the zeta. He put on his sunglasses before vanishing in a golden light.

* * *

Robin arrived at the Cave, nervous. It was the first time he had faced the Team since Naomi's disappearance, and he wasn't quite ready for their questions.

"Hello, Robin," Kaldur greeted first. "Have you heard from Lily? I've been trying to contact her for the past week."

 _Especially from her boyfriend..._ Robin groaned to himself. Out loud, he said, "She didn't tell you? Oh, well, apparently she's studying in Europe this semester. No phone service, or something like that."

"Oh," Kaldur said, and Robin could tell he was hurt he hadn't heard it from her. Robin opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by the announcement of Black Canary. He sighed in relief.

"Hello, everyone," she greeted with a smile. "I hope you had a nice break, because it's back to business." Everyone gathered just outside the circle as Black Canary reached the center of the illuminated space.

"Since it is the new year," she started, "and we have a new addition,"–-she gestured to Raquel "–-I thought we could start off fairly easy and work our way into some of the skills Batman has asked me to teach you.

"The first thing I taught the Team was that the key to winning a fight is to put it in your own terms," Black Canary explained. "You should always be acting, never reacting." She glanced at Conner and smirked. "You can ask your teammate about learning that lesson."

She glanced around the Team, noticing Lily's absence for the first time. Had Robin been gone as well, she wouldn't have thought anything of it. But there the Boy Wonder was, standing slightly apart from the rest of the Team. She frowned fractionally before saying, "Rob, would you mind helping me demonstrate?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." Robin pulled himself from his thoughts and approached the blonde heroine at the center of the circle. She fell into a fighting stance, and he followed her lead.

Black Canary struck first, aiming a blow toward Robin's temple. He easily blocked and moved swiftly to the side, causing Black Canary to turn her head to track him. She quickly dropped to swipe his feet from beneath him, but Robin did a back handspring away. Black Canary blocked a weak punch and she raised a questioning eyebrow at him as she grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his back.

She helped him to his feet before turning to the rest of the Team. "Can anyone tell me what Robin did wrong?" she asked as the young hero in question walked back to the line.

"He let you control the fight?" Raquel asked hesitantly.

Black Canary gave her an encouraging smile. "That's right," she said. "I was able to dictate the terms of the right, and that allowed me to come out on top."

As Black Canary began demonstrating a basic maneuver to Raquel, Robin let his mind wander again. He had been consumed with thinking about how to find Naomi, and it had obviously shown.

 _Snap out of it, Grayson_ , he scolded himself. _You're no good to Naomi if you can't fight!_

It wasn't until he heard a groan that Robin glanced up and realized Black Canary had moved on to the physical part of learning. She had asked Kaldur to spar with Raquel, and Robin could only guess the fight hadn't lasted long.

"All right." Black Canary chuckled as Raquel was helped to her feet. "Why don't we–-"

She was cut off when the zeta-tube announced Batman's arrival, and a moment later, the Dark Knight stepped out of the tube. He turned to the controls and tapped a few keys before the automated voice said, "Access granted: Alexander Masen, A-1-3. Authorization: Batman, 0-2."

"Sorry to interrupt," Batman said. "I thought it would be a good idea to let Alex have a look around."

"Uh, hi," Alex said, giving everyone a nervous smile and small wave.

"Black Canary," he said next, "you're needed at the Watchtower."

"Oh," she said in surprise. She glanced at the Team before turning back to Batman. "I'll be there in a second."

Batman nodded before turning on his heel and disappearing again, leaving Alex standing awkwardly to the side.

"Kaldur, Robin," Black Canary addressed, "lead the sparring session. Start simple, and break into pairs. Alex," she said once the two had nodded, turning to the young Green Lantern. "Do you have any fighting experience?"

"Uh, a little boxing," Alex said uncertainly.

Black Canary nodded and glanced back at the Team. "Why don't you work with Kaldur. I'll make sure I'm around the next time you stop by," she added with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, no, it's fine," Alex responded. "Uh, nice meeting you."

Black Canary smiled as she passed him and joined the brooding bat.

* * *

She stepped out of the Zeta to find Batman, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate.

"Not waiting for me, I hope," Dinah Lance joked.

"There's something I want you three to see," Batman said in response. Dinah rolled her eyes but joined Diana and Doctor Fate.

Batman pulled up what appeared to be footage from a security camera. It showed a family of four being cornered by a mugger with a gun.

Diana winced. "Must you show us this, Batman?" she asked.

Batman sighed. "Fine," he said and he fast-forwarded the tape. When he stopped it again, the frame showed Batman in front of the last standing family member. He clicked _Play_ and the others watched as the girl screamed and blasted Batman and Robin back down the alley.

"By the gods," Diana whispered.

"She did that?" Dinah asked incredulously.

"Yes," Batman said. "The girl in question is a friend of Lilith's–-Morgan Davies. Lilith informed me that the night Morgan's family died, she was visited by her mother."

"Her mother?" Dinah questioned. "You mean, her ghost mother?"

"Who is her mother?" Diana asked, and Dinah glanced at her in disbelief.

Batman pursed his lips. "According to Morgan, her mother is the Greek goddess Hecate."

" _What?_ " Dinah gaped.

"It is not uncommon among the gods," Diana said matter-of-factly. "You see many of their offspring go on to be well-known figures in various fields."

Dinah turned to Diana with a raised eyebrow. "You're telling me there are god _s,_ plural?"

"You stand with an Amazonian princess born of clay and a Lord of Order," Diana countered. "And you work with two men who have the power to create anything that comes to their minds, a child who becomes Superman's equivalent, and a man who is the fastest being on the planet."

"Point taken," Dinah said slowly. "But _gods_?"

Batman cleared his throat and the two women turned back to him. "I called you each here because I was hoping–- _Lilith_ was hoping–-you would be able to help her friend further understand her powers."

"Of course," Diana responded immediately. "I will help any child who has a connection to my gods."

"I can help in the combat area, but that's about it," Dinah offered skeptically.

"Fate?" Batman asked, turning to the fourth person present and the only one to yet say a word.

"Yes," Doctor Fate said after a pause. "I believe I have the power to see the full extent of her capabilities."

Batman nodded, and three of them knew that was the closets they would get to a "thank you."

"When would you like us to meet with this child?" Diana asked.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Batman admitted. "I plan on bringing her to the Cave, and I want it to be clear before we do that."

"Of course," Diana nodded.

"Just keep us in the loop," Dinah said with a pointed look at Batman. "Remember, memory of an elephant." She tapped her temple to emphasize her point. "Don't think you can back out of having our help."

"I do appreciate the help," Batman said, and Dinah could tell he was sincere. "With...everything."

"Of course," she nodded. After glancing around at the others, Dinah said, "Well, if that's all, I'm going to take off. I told Ollie I'd help him pack."

"I must leave as well," Diana said. "I had just enough time to slip this into my schedule."

Doctor Fate simply nodded before flying off. Each of the remaining heroes took a zeta.

Bruce arrived at an empty Batcave, and he immediately went to the computer. He let out a huff in annoyance when his computer algorithm came up short, and he sat down to work out another one.

* * *

After an hour and a half of sparring, Kaldur called it a day. Robin grabbed a towel to wipe the thin layer of sweat from his face and neck as Raquel took pity on the confused Alex and showed him how to use the zeta. Robin turned on his heel to leave.

"Hey, wait."

 _Crap!_ Robin turned to find Kaldur approaching him. "What can I do for you?" he asked nonchalantly.

"You have not told me the truth about Lily's whereabouts," Kaldur accused.

Robin's eyes widened behind his sunglasses. "What?" he gaped. "No way! I told you the truth!"

Kaldur raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have known you for some time now, Robin," he said. "And in that time, I have never seen you lie. But I could tell you were not being truthful when I asked you earlier."

Robin glanced around before huffing. "Come with me," he mumbled. He skulked down the hall and Kaldur hurried after him.

"Computer, secure the room, authorization RG-3," Robin commanded once they reached the safe room.

"Room secured."

"She's been taken," Robin blurted.

"What?" Kaldur gasped.

Robin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "According to B, she disappeared last Sunday. She never made it home from a symphony concert with her school friends."

Kaldur slowly sank onto the couch. "I...I..."

"I'm so sorry, Kal," Robin said softly, perching next to him. "Batman told me not to tell anyone, but you were the first person I wanted to tell. But we're working night and day to get her back."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Kaldur assured. "I understand why Batman would not want anyone to know. And I know you are doing everything you can to find her."

"I'll tell Batman you know," Robin said. "That way, you don't get in trouble with him. And besides, it might be helpful to have more hands on deck." _It will_ definitely _be helpful,_ he added to himself.

"Of course," Kaldur nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

Robin offered him a small smile before exiting the safe room and walking to the zeta-tube. When he arrived at the Batcave, he found Bruce at the computer.

"I told Kaldur," Dick said as he took off his sunglasses.

"I figured," Bruce said bluntly. His eyes never left the screens and his fingers never stilled on the keys.

"I think we should tell everyone."

That got Bruce's attention. His fingers stilled and he tensed.

"No," he deadpanned, finally turning to Dick and giving him his signature Batglare.

"I know why you don't want to tell anyone," Dick said. "I mean, _I_ don't really want to tell anyone. But we could use all the help we can get."

"We will figure it out ourselves," Bruce growled.

"But–-"

"No buts!" Bruce yelled, standing abruptly and causing his chair to shoot across the floor. "I will handle it!"

His explosion caught Dick off guard, but he stood his ground. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at Bruce.

"I made promises to her, too," Dick said. "I know how guilty you feel, not being able to protect her from Savage. I feel that too." He took a deep breath and straightened to his full height. "We both failed to do what we promised. But we can either sit on our hands and find her ourselves, or we can admit that we're human and ask for help. Which do you think will bring Naomi home faster?" he challenged.

As much as Bruce hated to admit it, Dick had a point. The more people they had on board, the more resources at their disposal, the quicker they could bring Naomi home.

"All right," he said softly, not looking at his son. "All right, we'll do this your way."

"Seriously?" Dick asked, a grin making its way to his face. "You're agreeing with me?"

"Just this one," Bruce grumbled. "Don't you dare tell anyone," he added with a sharpl look, though Dick could tell it was only half-hearted.

"Cross my heart," he smirked. "So, where are we looking today?"

* * *

 **A/N: A little slow, I admit. But it will pick up, and hopefully there will be little Easter eggs hidden throughout that you guys can find!**

 **More characters will be making their debut! Care to make any guesses? Let me know in the comments!**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to leave a comment! I'll answer any question I can, and I always appreciate feedback.**

 **Until next time.**


	3. The Orphan and The First Lead

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Big things coming up! New characters make their appearance! Can you tell I'm excited?!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
Monday, January 17, 2011  
1544 EST**

Robin, Wally, Zatanna, and Raquel were sparring in the training room when a transmission from the Bio-Ship came through.

"What's up, M'gann?" Zatanna asked, turning away from Robin to face the Martian.

"Gather the Team," M'gann requested solemnly, and the four at the Cave glanced at each other; they had never seen their cheerful Martian so down. "We have some news."

"On it," Robin said.

"See you in about thirty minutes," Conner said before M'gann shut the video.

"Wonder what's up," Wally said. Robin shrugged as he pulled up a new transmission for the missing Team members.

"M'gann wants us at the Cave," he informed Kaldur and Artemis.

"I'll head over now," Kaldur said.

"See you in a few," was Artemis's response.

Robin closed the comm and turned to the other three. "Do you wanna keep sparring until they get here?"

"Yes!" Raquel said. "I still can't get the grab-and-flip move Canary taught us down."

"I can work on that with you," Robin said, going over to her.

The four were joined a few minutes later by Artemis and Kaldur, and they joined in on sparring until M'gann and Conner arrived.

The Team walked to the hanger, and M'gann and Conner walked stoically out of the ship.

"What happened?" Kaldur asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"It's Gar," M'gann said softly. "Garfield," she elaborated for Zatanna, Raquel, Artemis, and Kaldur. "We met him during a mission in Qurac, and Conner and I have visited a few times since then. But yesterday..." Tears began to well in her eyes and Conner picked up where she left off.

"Yesterday afternoon, Queen Bee compelled Garfield's mother to drive off a cliff. He watched the whole thing."

Robin tensed; he knew all to well about that, watching helplessly as your family fell to their deaths.

There was a collective gasp around the hanger, and M'gann began to sob in earnest.

"What'll happen to him?" Wally asked heavily, the first to find his voice.

"We'll bring him here," Conner supplied immediately. "And I don't care what Batman has to say about it!" he added with a look at Robin.

Robin held up his hands in surrender. "i'll ask," he said. " _When_ he says yes, how soon could we bring Gar here?"

"Right away, I hope," M'gann sniffled. "I want him as far away from Queen Bee as possible!"

"I can call him now," Robin offered. M'gann nodded and Robin tapped his ear piece. "Batman?"

"Here, Robin," Batman's voice came a moment later. "What is it?"

"There's a boy who's been orphaned," Robin said immediately. "His mother was killed by Queen Bee. We were wondering if there was any way to bring him here to live at the Cave."

"I'll look into it now," he said solemnly. "Tell the Team I should have answers by the end of the week."

"Got it. See you later."

"Well?" M'gann asked anxiously when Robin was done.

"He said he'll look into it and that he should have answers by the end of this week," Robin reported.

"Thank you," M'gann said softly. Robin nodded.

Sure enough, by that Friday, Batman had gotten it all sorted out. Garfield would be allowed to enter the United States as a citizen, since his mother had dual citizenship in the U.S. and Qurac. M'gann and Conner would make the trip and bring Garfield to the Cave.

The following Thursday, the Team gathered in the bay to await the arrival of the newest occupant of the Cave.

The Bio-Ship landed and M'gann walked out with Garfield, her hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the Cave, Garfield," she said softly.

The young boy looked around with flat eyes. As amazing as it was he was in the headquarters of the Young Justice team, it was all overshadowed by his mother's death.

As his eyes skimmed the team members, he asked, "Is this everyone?"

"Yes," Batman said immediately. "Only Conner, M'gann, and Zatanna live at the Cave, but you'll be seeing all of the Team at one point or another."

"No..." Garfield said slowly. "No, there was another person who came to my house. She said she could speak to animals."

"Oh, you're talking about Lily," Wally supplied. "She's off in Europe," he explained. "Bats says she's in some exchange program." The Dark Knight only nodded in confirmation.

"Oh," Garfield said quietly, deflating a little. "We never did get to hang out. I wanted to know what our animals had to say about us. If they liked us. If they thought we were kind to them."

"What's he talking about?" Zatanna asked Robin, and the other female members of the Team shared her confused look.

"Oh, right," Wally spoke up again. "After the Cadmus fiasco last July, we learned Lily has the ability to converse with animals. It was something she didn't brag about."

Batman cleared his throat. "M'gann, you can show Garfield his room. Robin, I'll meet you back at the Batcave once Garfield is settled in." The Boy Wonder nodded in acknowledgement before Batman turned on his heel and walked toward the zeta-tubes.

"We'll help you with your things," Zatanna offered. The others nodded and followed Conner up the ramp of the Bio-Ship to collect the boxes Garfield had packed. With the entire Team working, it only took them one trip to Garfield's new room.

"Would you like help unpacking?" Kaldur offered.

"No, thank you," Garfield murmured. "I think I just want to take a nap, if that's all right."

"Of course," Kaldur nodded. "If you need anything, someone will always be at the Cave," he said before turning out of the room. The rest of the Team, who had waited around in the hallway, took that as their cue they could go as well, and Robin made a beeline for the zeta.

"What is it?" he asked as soon as he stepped foot in the Batcave.

"I may have found a lead," Bruce said from in front of the Batcomputer. "We're going to Seattle."

* * *

 **Seattle, Washington  
Monday, January 27, 2011  
1906 PST**

"So, where exactly are we? And why are we in the penguin suits?"

"Because Bruce Wayne and guest have been invited to the private gala at the Burke Museum," Bruce said as he and Dick walked up the steps of the said museum. Bruce showed his invitation to the man at the door and they were waved inside.

"So, why is it private?" Dick asked as they followed the signs pointing them up to the second floor.

"The museum just received a selection of ancient Chinese treasures," Bruce explained.

"How will this help us find Naomi?" Dick questioned.

"Savage has always kept off the grid, and Luthor has kept quiet," Bruce explained. "But there _has_ been an uptick in Ra's al Ghul's activity, all centered around Chinese artifacts."

"Why the sudden interest?" Dick wondered as they reached the desired exhibit. Surrounding them, in glass cases, was just a small portion of China's ancient history, and Dick couldn't help but be fascinated by it all. It was, after all, Naomi's heritage.

"I'm not sure," Bruce admitted as they stopped in front of an incomplete purple textile.

" _Textile with Floral Medallion_ ," Dick read. "From the Tang dynasty. 'This extremely rare and elegant textile is identical to an eighth-century example preserved in Shōsōin, a famous treasury in the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan, that houses imperial gifts from Tang-dynasty China," he continued. "Given by the Japanese Empress Kōmyō, continued to serve as pieces for the study of the art of Tang China, purple dye comes from an expensive and labor-intensive material that was imported," he finished summarizing.

"Very nice," Bruce nodded.

"It's so small, though," Dick pointed out. "And there's that weird rectangle missing," he added, pointing to the right side of the textile that was indeed missing a section. "If Ra's is looking for something to steal in the hopes of selling it, I doubt he'd even give this one a second thought."

Dick moved on and Bruce gave one last look at the purple textile before following his son to one of the flashier objects on display.

About an hour later, someone began to gently tap on their champagne flute, which made everyone else thing they had to join in. A middle-aged Chinese man stepped onto one of the benches throughout the room and everyone finally grew silent.

"I don't want to waste too much of your time," he said in slightly accented English. "I just wanted the chance to say thank you to all the donors for making this exhibit possible and for so warmly allowing me the chance to share my culture with the rest of the world. It is truly an honor." He bowed before giving a small wave to the audience.

"Here, _j_ _iù jiu_ _._ " A teenager about Naomi's age offered his hand to the man and helped him down from the bench. Dick caught the teen's eyes and Dick could have sworn he winked at him. Before he had a chance to figure it out, the man and the teen turned and disappeared in the crowd, a third person, this one female, falling in step with them.

When they walked down the steps at the end of the gala, Dick turned to Bruce and said, "That was a complete waste! Nothing happened."

"Perhaps Ra's sent someone else to scout," Bruce said thoughtfully. "Either way, we're coming back. _Something's_ going to happen."

"How do you know?" Dick asked, sending Bruce a look that asked if he knew something Dick didn't.

"Just a feeling," Bruce answered vaguely, and Dick knew that was the most he was going to get.

Batman and Robin appeared on the rooftop across the museum a minute after Bruce and Dick had driven off, and there they waited.

It was nearly two in the morning when three shadowy figures caught Batman's eyes. He nudged Robin, who had to shake himself awake before scanning the ground below. He nodded once he had spotted the shadows, and together, they silently swooped down and landed by the side entrance, whose door was already propped open. They slipped inside and immediately headed to the second floor.

When they entered the exhibit, three League of Assassin members were going around the room, carefully opening the glass display cases without tripping any of the alarms. Their heads were covered with deep hoods, but the all-black fitted uniforms revealed the archer was the only female of the trio.

She was the first to spot the Dynamic Duo, and she drew her bow. The Leaguer armed with two large tiger claw knives drew his weapons and started to charge. Robin threw a Batarang at the archer, slicing through the bow string. She cursed and yelled at the knife wielder as she stopped to restring. Batman threw a weighted line at him. He swung to cut the cable, but it slipped under his swings and tangled his feet, causing him to stumble at Robin's feet. Batman kicked the knives out of reach while Robin turned his attention to the third League member, who had continued to work calmly.

Robin's eyes landed on the unimposing purple tapestry they had spotted earlier, and found the last Leaguer raising his hand to it.

"Really?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. "That one?"

The thief turned, and Batman got a clear view of him. He was dressed identically to the other two League members in black pants, boots, and jacket, which was belted closed. A hood was pulled over his head, and like the others, it threw the upper half of his face in shadow. His lips twitched.

"You obviously know nothing about Chinese culture," he snapped. "This textile is beyond rare, thought to have been lost to the ages. But now that it has been recovered, it deserves to be hung somewhere it can be appreciated."

"Isn't that what museums are for?" Robin pointed out.

From behind them, a feminine voice called out in Arabic, " _Remember the mission, Maharib Alttanin_."

Batman glanced behind him and saw the woman had restrung her bow and was back on her feet.

The young man standing at the purple textile took a deep breath and said, " _You're right, Eayan Alnnusr."_ Batman turned back to him as Maharib Alttanin straightened, smirked, and then lowered his hood. Around them, the others did the same.

"Batman!" Robin whisper-exclaimed. "They were at the exhibit!"

"Yes," Maharib Alttanin smirked. "Very observant of you, _Dick_."

Without waiting for a response or reaction, he drew his sword from its scabbard and slammed the pommel against the glass case. It shattered and alarms immediately started blaring.

" _Let's go!_ " the last man said, already dashing toward the stairs.

" _Makhlab Alnnamr is right_ ," Eayan Alnnusr said sharply. " _We've wasted enough time with these amateurs."_

"Amateurs?" Robin muttered. "I'll show you amateur!" He lunged at Maharib Alttanin as he was carefully, almost reverently, folding the textile. Eayan Alnnusr notched two arrows and aimed them at Robin's feet. They tangled around his ankles and caused him to fall flat at Maharib Alttanin's feet.

Eayan Alnnusr shot another arrow at the ceiling. As she rapelled herself upward, she swung past Maharib Alttanin. He caught hold of her hand and let himself be carried up by her grapple arrow. They landed by the man, Makhlab Alnnamr, as he threw down smoke pellets even as Batman and Robin shot their own grapple lines. The teenager's voice carried through the smoke, but the rushing wind made it impossible for Batman or Robin to hear what he had said.

By the time they landed on the balcony and charged through the smoke, the League of Assassin members had vanished.

Batman sighed as he called the Batwing. "There's no use trying to follow," he said. "They're too good."

"He wanted us to see him," Robin commented as they stepped onto the plane. "I saw him at the gala, and he _winked_ at me. He was accompanied by a male and a female then, and he was accompanied by a male and a female just now."

"Yes," Batman nodded. "I noticed that, too."

"Did you recognize any of them?"

"Dick, Ra's has hundreds of League of Assassin members at his disposal," Batman reminded. "There's no way I could have met all of them, even during all my encounters with them."

Robin peeled off his mask and idly fiddled with it in his lap. "Do you think Ra's is going to become a bigger player soon?" he asked out of the blue.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Batman answered immediately, and it made Dick wonder if Bruce had been thinking the same thing too.

* * *

 **A/N: Jiù jiu: uncle (specifically, mother's brother), Chinese**

 **So...Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins have made their debut...what's going to happen with them?**

 **The three League of Assassins here have Arabic names in addition to their given names, an idea I took from the CW Arrow show. Each of their Arabic names hints at who they are, their personality, or any special talent.**

 **Maharib Alttanin: Dragon Warrior**

 **Eayan Alnnusr: Eye of the Eagle**

 **Makhlab Alnnamr: Tiger's Claw**

 _ **Textile with Floral Medallion**_ **is a real textile that was on display at the Met at one point. The little history lesson behind it is real too.**

 **Let me know what you think! Any questions, speculations, let me know! I'd love to hear what you think the Ra's connection is, and I'm more than willing to answer any questions you might have.**

 **Until next time.**


	4. Insights

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Been a while, huh? Been kinda low on inspiration and motivation, to be honest. But I'm still chugging along, albeit somewhat slowly. Big things are coming up really soon, and I hope to hear from you guys!**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Friday, January 28, 2011  
1833 EST**

The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"Bruce?" Lisa Scott couldn't keep the hopeful tone out of her voice, and Bruce let out a heavy sigh.

"Nothing yet, Lisa," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," Lisa said, her shoulders slumping. "You called, and I thought..."

"I apologize for that," Bruce said. "But I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't important anyway."

"Of course," she said, now worrying about what would cause Bruce to call.

"It's nothing bad," Bruce assured. "I promised Naomi I'd help Morgan."

"What can I do?" Lisa asked immediately.

"I'll give you an address to drive her to," Bruce said. Lisa's phone chimed, signaling an incoming text message. She quickly checked it before saying, "I'll have her there in ten minutes."

"Good," Bruce said. He hung up without another word, but Lisa knew better than to take it personally; Bruce had become Batman, and Batman didn't do long good-byes.

"Morgan!" Lisa called up the stairs. "I need you to come with me!"

"Is everything okay?" Morgan asked hesitantly as she came down the stairs.

"Yes," Lisa assured with a smile. "Grab your coat. We're going for a little ride."

"Okay..." the red-headed teen said slowly. She walked to the coat closet and followed Lisa to the car.

Just under ten minutes later, Lisa came to a stop at the mouth of an alley. Morgan raised an eyebrow at her, but the older woman just nodded encouragingly.

As Morgan got out of the car, Lisa said, "Let me know when you're ready for pick-up."

"Wait, you're leaving me here?" Morgan exclaimed, slightly hysterical.

"I promise you, you'll be safe," Lisa said, pale green eyes meeting apple-green ones. Morgan nodded haltingly before turning to the alley.

Despite the bright sun, the back half of the alley fell in darkness, and Morgan was hesitant to approach. A can clattered to the ground and she yelped at the sudden noise.

 _Get a grip_ , she scolded herself. _Lisa likes you. It's not like she's trying to get rid of you_.

As Morgan reached the edge of the lighted part of the alley, a flicker of movement caught her eyes and she froze again.

"Hello?" she called out weakly.

"Morgan."

She yelped again at the deep voice that seemed to be coming from the shadows themselves, but when she realized who it was, she grew curious.

"Batman? Why did you have Lisa bring me here?"

The Dark Knight stepped forward, not quite into the light, but enough so that he was more clearly defined. "There are some people I'd like you to meet," he said.

"You're taking me to the Batcave?!" Morgan couldn't help but exclaim.

"No," he said simply. "You don't qualify."

"Oh." _Duh_.

Batman turned to the only ting of interest in the alley: an old telephone booth.

"Wait here," he instructed. "Once I disappear, step in and close the door behind you."

Morgan only nodded, unsure what to say; maybe he had a screw loose?

Batman stepped into the telephone booth himself, and Morgan could just barely make out an automated voice state, "Recognized: Batman, 0-2." He vanished in a yellow flash and she stared open-mouthed at the now-empty phone booth.

Remembering what he had told her, Morgan quickly scrambled into the phone booth, glancing back down the alley to make sure no one had seen the disappearing act of the already-ninja-like Crusader.

Once the door was closed behind her, Morgan stood awkwardly, unsure what to do. Almost immediately, though, a voice said, "Access granted: Morgan Davies, A-1-4. Authorization: Batman, 0-2."

The sound of a machine powering up made Morgan look around wildly for the source. She was tempted to hurry out of the booth, but she kept her feet planted firmly as the light flashed around her and her body began to tingle.

When she reappeared, it took her a moment to regain her bearings. When her vision finally cleared of spots, she slowly stepped out of the giant grey tube and entered what appeared to be some sort of circular chamber in a...cave?

Batman stood with three Justice League members and Morgan froze, her green eyes wide.

"Morgan," Batman said, breaking her stunned silence. "Lilith told me about you, and asked me to help you figure out your new powers. I've asked Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate, and Black Canary here because I think they are best suited to help you."

"H-hi," Morgan said with an awe-struck smile.

"Wonder Woman has extensive knowledge in the field of what we consider Greek mythology," Batman explained. "Doctor Fate says he has the ability to sense your powers and should be able to help us determine how strong your powers are and how best to teach you. And Black Canary will teach you in hand-to-hand combat, get you up to speed before you start training with the rest of the Team."

"Wow," Morgan breathed. "This is...better than I could have imagined. Thank you so much." Batman simply nodded.

"I will take her now," Doctor Fate said. Morgan's eyes widened again at his choice of words, but after Batman gave her a subtle nod, she followed the gold-helmed man.

"In here, please," he said when they reached a plain door. Morgan stepped through and found a single cot. "If you would lie down." Morgan did as she was instructed and walked over to the bed.

Doctor Fate stood at her side and he stretched his arms over her. "This should not hurt."

Morgan swallowed; that didn't sound very reassuring. But she stayed still as Doctor Fate chanted something she somehow vaguely understood and she glanced at his hands as they began to glow.

"This is a simple spell that should tell us the extent of your powers," Doctor Fate explained as he slowly passed his hands over her head and down her torso.

"Well, if it helps, my mother told me," Morgan spoke up, glancing at Doctor Fate.

"Perhaps," he said simply. His hands, which had been glowing a soft gold, flared brighter, and Morgan winced before the light died.

"What was that?" she asked as she sat up.

"You have immense power," Doctor Fate said slowly. "More power than I believe I have ever seen in a mortal."

"But I'm not entirely mortal, am I," Morgan joked with a chuckle, but then fell silent when Doctor Fate gave her a look.

"I will have to discuss this with Batman," Doctor Fate said evenly.

Morgan couldn't help but scoff, despite her company. "They're my powers," she said. "My parentage. Why should I be left out?"

"Very well," Doctor Fate said. He turned to the door and it opened to reveal Batman and Wonder Woman.

"Well?" Batman asked.

"She has immense power," Doctor Fate repeated. "But from what I can see, it does not appear she should be discovering any new powers."

"Will you be able to train her?" Batman asked the Lord of Order.

"I'm right here," Morgan huffed exasperatedly.

"Perhaps," Doctor Fate continued as though she hadn't spoken.

"Wonderful," Wonder Woman smiled. "Why not start right away?" she suggested.

"Do I have no say in this?" Morgan exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

Batman glanced at her before saying, "Of course."

"Look, I would love to learn how to use and control my powers," Morgan said, looking around at the three heroes. "But can I have a little time? I just...my best friend disappears without a trace, and now I'm going to learn how to use powers I didn't even know I had until recently. I need time."

"Of course," Batman said again. "I will take you back to Gotham." Morgan didn't say anything, just nodded. The Dark Knight gave a nod to Wonder Woman and Doctor Fate before guiding Morgan back to the zeta-tubes.

When Morgan stepped out of the telephone booth, she found Batman ending a call, though he didn't appear to be holding a phone.

"I called Lisa," he said. "She'll be here momentarily. I will wait with you until she gets here."

Morgan nodded again, and silence settled over the two. After a moment, though, Batman said softly, "I miss her too."

Morgan looked at him in surprise. She couldn't see his eyes and most of his face was covered, but she could tell by the slight waver in his voice and by the twitch of his lips that he was sincere.

"You'll get her back, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Batman said for the third time. "I will do everything I can to bring her back to us. You have my word."

His promise caught Morgan off guard, but she gave him a small smile as Lisa's car pulled up at the mouth of the alley.

"I'll be in touch," Batman said as Morgan walked to the car. He gave Lisa a short nod before stepping into the zeta again and disappearing.

* * *

 **Undisclosed Location, Somewhere in S.E. Canada  
Saturday, February 5, 2011  
1159 EST**

"All right, that's enough."

Agent 23, without taking her eyes off her opponent, stood and retreated to the ring of agents surrounding her.

Irene placed a hand on Agent 23's shoulder as Agent 26 spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground with a glare at the dark-haired girl who had bested her...again.

A deep tolling bell sounded and Irene clapped her hands as she glanced around at the gathered agents. "That's lunch, girls."

23 started after the others but was stopped when Irene called her back.

"How are you feeling, Agent?" Irene asked once 23 had rejoined her.

"I'm okay," she responded, brushing a strand of hair from her sweaty forehead. "Just want to stay on top of my game."

Irene chuckled. "I don't think that's going to be a problem for you, Agent," she said.

"Thank you, ma'am," 23 responded with a shy smile. "Was there anything else you needed me for?" she asked after a pause. "I was hoping to clean up a bit before lunch."

"Oh, no, nothing," Irene said. "Go, get washed up. I'll see you in class later."

"Yes, ma'am," 23 nodded before turning and heading to the dorms. When she reached her small room, she grabbed another uniform before stepping into the equally small bathroom.

It had been just over a month since Agent 23 had been given the okay to get back into the regular routine. Irene had insisted on her rest after a particularly aggressive attack by a fellow agent had left Agent 23 with a mild concussion and a nasty set of cuts on the left side of her face. It felt good to get back in the rotation, and 23 worked extra hard to prove to the others that no one was going to get the best of her the way Agent 21 had.

After washing away the sweat from her body, Agent 23 dressed in another uniform before exiting her room and walking to the mess hall. As she settled into a seat, she could feel the eyes on her and hear the whispering as everyone turned back to their meals.

Agent 23 smirked as she dug into her own lunch; this is where she belonged.

* * *

 **A/N: So we finally see Naomi, now Agent 23. What do you think of her character transformation? Let me know in the comments below!**

 **If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to let me know! I'm more than happy to response to any inquires.**

 **Leave me some love and I might update sooner rather than later!**

 **Until next time.**


	5. Birthday Slip-Up

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Monday, February 14, 2011  
1654 EST**

Morgan was doing homework on her bed when a soft knock came.

"Come in!" she called.

Lisa poked her head in and said, "Someone was wondering how you would feel about meeting the Team."

"You mean the Young Justice League?" Morgan asked, perking up.

The older woman chuckled. "Yes, them."

"Hell yeah!" Morgan exclaimed with a wide grin. She quickly closed her textbook and hopped off the bed. "So...where am I going?"

"Follow me." Lisa gave Morgan a secretive smile and the redhead tilted her head in confusion but did as she was told.

Lisa led Morgan out of the house and into the backyard.

"Why are we headed to the shed?" Morgan asked.

"You'll see."

Morgan rolled her eyes at Lisa's continued secretive manner but laughed and stepped into the shed. She followed Lisa to the back corner, where she was directed to stand beside her.

"Don't fidget," Lisa admonished lightly before reaching for a switch. Morgan let out a surprised, "Whoa!" as she heard gears began to grind and felt the floor begin to sink.

When they touched the bottom, lights flickered on and Morgan got a look around the space, which was much bigger than she was expecting.

The concrete floors were bare for the most part. One corner of the floor was covered in a padded blue mat, with another corner swatch dedicated to a blue carpet suspended on two inches of firm foam and sturdy springs. There was a punching bag hanging in a third corner with several more lined up against the wall behind it. A stainless steel rolling cart with drawers was against another portion of the wall, and beside it, on a mannequin, was Lilith's uniform.

"Wow," Morgan breathed.

"Yeah," Lisa said softly with a small smile. "Batman redid it as a Christmas gift. It's such a shame N-Naomi didn't get a chance to use it." Morgan didn't miss Lisa's slight hitch when she said her daughter's name, but she didn't mention it. "Batman said you were welcome to use it anytime you wanted."

Morgan found she could only nod due to the tightness in her throat. She blinked rapidly to clear the tears from her eyes before sniffing and straightening her shoulders.

"So, how do I go about meeting the Team?" she asked.

Lisa chuckled and walked over to the strange circular indent in the wall that Morgan just noticed. She pressed a button on the small control panel and the machine whirred to life.

"Batman tells me you've traveled by zeta before," Lisa commented. Morgan nodded. "Then get your butt in there," she chuckled.

Morgan bit her lip, suddenly nervous, as she stepped toward the transporter. She stepped in, and a voice said, "Recognized: Morgan Davies, A-1-4."

She stepped out of the zeta to find herself in the same room as before, except this time was full of teenagers, not just Batman and a couple of League members (though Black Canary was present again).

"Oh wow," she muttered, looking around wide-eyed at everyone. Except for the League members, no one was in their uniforms, though Morgan did notice one of them was wearing sunglasses despite being inside, and she wondered if that was Robin. _Though the hair was somewhat familiar..._

"Everyone," Batman spoke up, "this is Morgan."

A dark-skinned teen who appeared to be one of the older ones stepped forward. "I am Kaldur, the leader of the Team," he said. He turned to his teammates and began to introduce them.

Robin was indeed the raven-haired boy wearing sunglasses. Wally was munching on an energy bar while is girlfriend, Artemis, scolded him for getting Morgan with his mouth full. The green-skinned girl was M'gann, the Martian Manhunter's niece, and her boyfriend was Conner, who was half Superman's clone (Morgan didn't ask who the other half was; she got the feeling it was a touchy subject). The pretty blue-eyed girl next to Robin was Zatanna, whose father was Doctor Fate (though Morgan wasn't entirely sure how that worked), and the last member introduced was Raquel.

"And this is Alex Masen and Garfield Logan," Kaldur finished, gesturing to the last two people present.

Alex was tall and undeniably attractive, with messy curly dark brown hair that constantly fell into twinkling hazel eyes, which hinted at a mischievous spirit. Garfield, the youngest present (and was that a hint of green to his pale skin?), gave Morgan a smile, though his electric green eyes held the same emptiness Morgan had grown accustomed to seeing in her own reflection, as well as in the gaze of the Scotts, and the older redhead wondered if he too had lost someone close to him.

"Nice to meet you all," Morgan said, giving everyone a small wave.

"I'll leave you be," Batman said with a short nod.

Black Canary nodded back before walking to the center of a circle, which lit up under her feet.

"Morgan," Black Canary addressed, "since it's your first day, there's no need to feel pressured into joining."

She nodded, and as the others stood at the edge of the ring, Garfield nudged Morgan and gestured for her to follow him. They sat against the wall a few feet away.

"So, how did you join the Team?" Morgan asked after a pause.

"Well, I'm not officially on the Team," Garfield mumbled, staring ahead.

"I meant, how did you get here, to this...cave?" she elaborated, gesturing to the rock walls and high ceiling.

"Oh." Garfield fell silent, and Morgan was sure he wasn't going to answer. But he let out a breath and said, "I first met most of them a while back. It was in Bialya. They did their hero thing, and then disappeared. M'gann and Conner visited me and my mom a few times. Then, last month..." He took a deep breath. "Last month, my mother died. Well, she was killed," he corrected bitterly.

"Oh," Morgan said dumbly. "I'm...I'm sorry to hear. I recently lost someone too."

Garfield looked up sharply, and she seemed to study her. "You have that same look," he observed quietly. "That...empty, lost look." Morgan nodded. "Who did you lose?"

His observation caught her off guard, but Morgan said, "My best friend. She's not _dead_ , but...we don't know what happened to her."

"She's in the life too?" Garfield asked. Morgan nodded. His eyes flashed to the Team as Black Canary slammed Alex to the ground. "Was your friend Lilith?" he asked.

"How'd you know her?" Morgan looked at him, surprised.

"She was one of the ones who went to Bialya that first time," Garfield said. He gave her a funny look. "When I first came to the Cave, I noticed she wasn't here and I asked about her. Bats said she was in Europe for school," he finished slowly.

 _Oops._

"Oh, well, I was never told that," Morgan said lamely.

"Uh-uh," Garfield disputed, shaking his head. His eyes seemed to have lost their emptiness. Now they were filled with a determination, like a little kid who was intent on figuring out the impossible riddle. "You have a closer connection to Batman than the rest of us, except for Robin, of course, and Lilith. So there's no way you _didn't_ know what really happened to her."

Morgan bit her lip; damn this kid was good. When Lisa had told her what had happened, she had also stressed that Batman wanted to keep it under wraps. The only reason they knew was because they were Naomi's family, who also happened to know Batman's ultimate secret.

She glanced over at Robin, who seemed to have felt a gaze on him because he looked away from Black Canary and Raquel to Morgan.

She couldn't see his eyes, but his eyebrows said, _What did you do?_ Morgan could only shrug helplessly.

Just then, Black Canary called time and waved for everyone to join her. Garfield jumped to his feet and dashed to the Team, leaving Morgan to shuffle over nervously.

Garfield stopped in front of Robin and glared accusingly at him. "Where is Lilith _really_?" he demanded loudly.

Robin froze as everyone turned to gaze questioningly at him.

"And don't bother trying to lie your way out of it," Garfield warned. "Morgan already messed that up."

"Hey." Morgan frowned at the younger redhead. Her fists clenched unconsciously at her side, and no one noticed the acid green sparks that jumped from her skin; everyone was looking at Robin.

"What's goin' on?" Raquel asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Robin.

"Argh, Batman's gonna kill me," Robin muttered to himself.

Kaldur placed a hand on his shoulder. When Robin glanced up at his leader, he said, "Tell them."

Robin took a deep breath. "Lilith isn't in Europe. Well, she could be, for all we know," he rambled. He cleared his throat and continued. "She was taken back by Savage."

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"And you thought it was a good idea to _lie_ about that?!" Artemis exclaimed.

"We could have been helping you find her!" Wally added.

"Look, Batman didn't want to tell anyone," Robin sighed, looking around the room. "Morgan knew because she knew Lilith's alter ego, and I told Kaldur because, well...he asked."

"So just because he's dating her he gets the truth?" Alex demanded. Everyone's gaze shifted to him and he cleared his throat. "Well, you all worked with her. You're, like, family, right?"

"It was my call as much as Batman's," Robin admitted. "I could have disobeyed him. But I didn't."

"Why?" Zatanna asked.

"Because I feel responsible for her disappearance too," Robin confessed. "I promised her nothing would happen to her. That she would be safe."

"Dude, we made her those promises too," Wally said softly. "We're in this. Together."

"It's what she would have wanted," Conner added quietly. M'gann nodded in agreement.

Robin took a deep breath. "I'd better go tell Batman everyone knows," he said. "I'll see you guys later." He gave a small wave before turning and walking to the zeta.

Once he disappeared, Morgan finally relaxed. She unclenched her fists and muttered, "Way to end your birthday."

"It's your birthday?" M'gann asked, and Morgan realized she had said it much louder than she had intended.

"Oh, uh..." Morgan glanced around and realized everyone was staring at her again. "Yeah, it is."

"Shouldn't you be out celebrating?" Raquel asked. "What are you doing with a bunch of strangers?"

"Well, it's a school night, so we celebrated over the weekend. And besides, homework," she rambled.

"We have ingredients for ice cream sundaes," Zatanna offered.

"Oh, no, you don't have to," Morgan tried to protest, but M'gann was already practically pushing her in the direction of a hall.

By the time Morgan returned to the Scotts later that evening, she had everyone's numbers programmed into her phone, complete with screen names. When deciding on a name for her, they had texted Robin, who had suggest _Hapa_ , which was a term for _half_. Morgan couldn't think of anything better, and besides, it was true, so she happily went along with it.

"But that better not be my hero name," she warned as everyone entered her number into their phones.

* * *

 **A/N: So it's been a hot sec since I've posted. You could always speed this along with a few words at the end of every chapter...**

 **Hapa is a Hawaiian word for "half," and though used commonly in the United States when referring to Asian-Americans of mixed ethnic heritage, the word itself has no specific connection to Asians or Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders.**


	6. Motherly Advice

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Sorry for the wait. I was doing some editing on future chapters.**

* * *

 **Poseidonis  
Saturday, February 26, 2011  
1134 UTC-2**

Kaldur exited the zeta to find a swim-pacing Tula and Garth swimming more serenely beside her.

"Kal!" Tula exclaimed happily when he appeared.

"Tula," he greeted with a small smile. "Garth. {It has been a while.}"*

"{Too long, my friend,}" Garth grinned, swimming up to Kaldur. As the trio began to make their way toward the palace, he said, "{So, last I heard, you had a girlfriend.}"

"{That's wonderful!}" Tula smiled wildly. "{I take it she is a land dweller?}"

"{Yes,}" Kaldur nodded. "{She is on the Team, and is a protégé of Batman.}"

"{I thought the Bat just had the one kid,}" Garth commented. "{Man...}" he said somewhat wistfully. "{How amazing is it, Kal, being able to fight with the people Tula and I only get to see on the television sets?}"

"{It is pretty incredible,}" Kaldur admitted with a bashful smile. "{You know, both of you could join if you wished. We already have two pending recruits, but I am sure Batman would add you to the list. I think he would like to have more water breathers.}"

Garth and Tula exchanged bright-eyed gazes. "{Do you really think he would do that?}" Tula asked excitedly. "{Gar and I were just talking, actually, about the mission on New Year's Eve.}"

"{You heard about that?}" Kaldur asked curiously; he hadn't realized anyone outside those on the Watchtower had been made aware of the situation.

"{King Orin was talking about it with the queen,}" Tula explained. "{He was quite impressed with you. You and the entire Team.}"

"{He admitted he didn't remember anything that actually happened,}" Garth laughed, "{but that the mere _fact_ that the Team was standing at the end of it was impressive.}"

Kaldur couldn't help but feel proud of his teammates. They had indeed completed what had felt like an impossible task: beating the Justice League.

"{You could be a part of that,}" he said as they arrived at the palace. The royal guards let them through, and they found King Orin waiting for them in the entrance way.

"Kaldur'ahm!" King Orin smiled. "{It has been too long since you last visited the palace!}"

"{Apologizes, my king,}" Kaldur said after saluting his mentor. "{It has been...quite busy on the surface.}"

"{Yes,}" Orin said, his smile fading slightly. "{I was saddened to hear the news. She was a delightful young woman and incredibly talented.}"

"{What's he talking about?}" Garth whispered as King Orin began to lead them through the underwater palace.

"{Probably something we'd know about if we were on the Team,}" Tula joked, not noticing how Kaldur's smile had tightened at Orin's mention of the 'delightful young woman.'

"{Here we are,}" Orin said, further preventing Kaldur from answering Garth's question. Orin swam into the enclosed courtyard, and Kaldur saw Queen Mera with a bundle in her arms seated in the middle.

"{Queen Mera,}" Kaldur greeted with a bow. "{I apologize for not being able to visit sooner.}"

Mera looked up from the sleeping baby in her arms to smile at Kaldur. "{No worries, Kaldur'ahm,}" she said. "{My husband tells me the surface world has been keeping you busy.}"

"{Yes,}" Kaldur said. "{There have been new objectives practically every week, new places to search, new leads to follow. It has been very time consuming.}"

"{Well, you are here now and that is what matters,}" Mera said warmly. The baby was just starting to stir, and Mera's eyes grew even softer.

"{Kaldur, I'd like you to meet Artur,}" she said as the prince opened his eyes slowly. "{Would you like to hold him?}" she asked. Kaldur could only manage a nod, his eyes never leaving the delicate bundle.

Mera gently passed the young prince to Kaldur, and she watched as his eyes litup and the worry seemed to melt away from his body.

She had never met the young lady that had captured Kaldur's heart the second time, but from what Orin had told her, her disappearance had been especially diffiuclt on Kaldur. Now, though, the stress and uncertainty was gone, replaced with a light heart and bright eyes.

"{He is quite handsome,}" Kaldur said after a minute.

"{Yes, he takes after his father,}" Mera joked as Kaldu returned the baby to her arms. "{You're not leaving right away, I hope?}" she asked, glancing up at him.

"{No, my lady,}" Kaldur answered. "{I have not seen my mother in some time and would like to before I return to the surface.}"

"{She will be so happy to see you,}" Mera said warmly. "{It has been some time since you last visited.}"

Kaldur bowed. "{I will do my best to remedy that,}" he said. "{Until next time, my queen.}"

He turned and swam with Garth and Tula out of the courtyard and back through the hallways to the entrance.

"{I will see you before I leave,}" Kaldur promised once they were outside the palace. "{Please, consider my invitation.}"

"{We will, Kal,}" Tula said.

He waved to his friends before heading in the direction of home. The trip to Shayeris would have been quicker had he not swam and instead taken a cruiser, but he needed the extra time to think.

When he reached the coral outskirts of Shayeris, he swam past the pink coral fence and down the path lined with glowing seaweeds and sea anemones.

He knocked on the door and it was answered immediately.

"Kaldur!" Sha'lain'a exclaimed when she saw her only son. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder. "{I heard you were back!}"

Kaldur chuckled as his mother ushered him inside. "{I see good news travels fast.}"

"{Indeed,}" Sha'lain'a smiled. "{The queen called. You always were one of the favorites of the royal family,}" she mused.

"{A blessing and a curse, at times,}" Kaldur admitted, and Sha'lain'a gazed her son, her warm golden eyes appraising.

"{Talk to me,}" she said gently.

Kaldur sighed and sank into the couch in the living room. "{I met someone,}" he started.

Sha'lain'a grinned. "{I know,}" she said, almost giddily. "{Queen Mera told me that King Orin told her that someone had caught your eye.}" She reached out and brushed his cheek. "{I'm so glad,}" she said. "{I've only ever wanted you to be happy, my love. So, tell me all about her!}"

Kaldur chuckled. "{Her name is Lilith,}" he started.

"Lilith?" Sha'lain'a asked. "{What an unusual name.}"

"{It's her hero name,}" Kaldur explained. "{She is the protégé of Batman, so I'm not sure—}"

"{I understand,}" Sha'lain'a said.

"{She is...}" Kaldur continued slowly. He fell silent and his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"{Yes?}"

"{She is special,}" Kaldur said finally. "{In more ways than one. She is sweet, and caring, and has a big heart, but she's also reserved, and careful, and... _guarded_.}"

Sha'lain'a raised an eyebrow slightly. "{That seems an odd combination,}" she commented.

"{Yes,}" he said with a wry smile. "{Yes, she is a walking contradiction.}"

Sha'lain'a studied her son. "{Tell me more,}" she said.

"{She's incredibly good at what she does,}" he said after a moment of thought. "{She's a hero, even though she doesn't always believe she is.}"

"{She told you this?}"

"{No.}" Kaldur blushed a little. "{I can tell. She works hard to keep up a façade, and she's good at it. But sometimes, when she thinks no one is watching, she worries. And it was not until she showed me who she was that I was able to see it clearly. She can control her facial expressions, but she's not as good at controlling what goes on behind her eyes.}"

"{The eyes are the windows to the soul,}" Sha'lain'an said with a small smile.

"{Yes,}" Kaldur said thoughtfully. "{And I have never met anyone who fits that saying more than Lilith.}"

He was silent for a moment, and Sha'lain'a finally prompted, "{What happened to her?}"

"{She disappeared,}" Kaldur said finally. "{We're not sure what happened.}"

Sha'lain'a gasped lightly. "{By the gods,}" she muttered. "{When did this happen?}"

"{About a week after the New Year,}" Kaldur said, staring solemnly at his hands. "{It's been...difficult.}"

"{I can only imagine, love,}" she said softly, reaching out to grasp his hand. After a pause, she said, "{Is there something you wanted to ask me?}"

"{How did you know?}" Kaldur asked, only slightly surprised.

Sha'lain'a smiled slightly. "{I'm your mother,}" she said lightly. "{No one can read their child better than their mother.}"

That got a small chuckle from Kaldur. "{Yes, I suppose there is a question I have been pondering.}" Sha'lain'a nodded encouragingly.

"{I have been wondering,}" Kaldur started slowly, "{if the surface world is right for me at the moment. I am thinking about taking a temporary leave of the Team. What do you think?}"

Sha'lain'a was silent for a while, turning her son's question over in her mind. Finally, she said, "{I suppose I have to ask you: do you want to leave because you are done being a hero up there, or do you want to leave because of what happened to Lilith?}"

Kaldur didn't respond, but Sha'lain'a could see the answer in his eyes. "{If it _is_ the latter,}" she said, "{then perhaps you should wait. I do not want you to leave and then regret it when Lilith returns.}"

"{You truly believe we'll find her?}" Kaldur blurted and Sha'lain'a nodded immediately.

"{Yes, I do,}" she said confidently. "{It will perhaps take some time, but you are working with the best heroes the world has to offer,}" she pointed out. "{I have complete confidence in the Justice League's and the Team's ability to find her.}"

Kaldur smiled at her certainty. "{Thank you, Mother,}" he said. "{I will think about what you have said.}"

"{Come on,}" she said, getting up from the couch and swimming to the kitchen. "{You can think about that later. For the time being, eat some lunch and catch your poor mother up on the details of the surface world.}"

* * *

 **A/N: A little mother/son bonding time.**

 *** = translated from Atlantean.**

 **(I got the idea from graphic novels, who use a similar symbol to signal a different language)**

 **Let me know what you think! Thoughts, feelings, hopes for character(s) development or screen time.**

 **Until next time.**


	7. Missed, Trip, and Bruce Wayne?

**A/N: I don't own anything you recognize.**

 **It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? I apologize for that. I've been working on future chapters that have changed slightly since I originally wrote them out. Also, I've been kinda low on motivation since I don't know what people think!**

 **That being said, thank you to the comments I have received! They really do mean the world to me.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Thursday, March 17, 2011  
0634 EDT**

Bruce walked into the kitchen to find Alfred working over the stove.

"Breakfast will be ready in just a moment, Master Bruce," the older man said, glancing over his shoulder as he did.

"Thanks, Alfred." Silence settled over the kitchen and Bruce wrapped his hands around a mug of black coffee.

It was her birthday.

Usually, Bruce would wake up Dick extra early so they could help Alfred prepare the special birthday breakfast each of them got when it was their big day. But today...today, Bruce had decided to let Dick sleep in.

When Dick stumbled in a little later, he glanced around and seemed to remember afresh why he hadn't been awakened before dawn. He sat beside Bruce and both stared silently at Naomi's empty seat.

"Cheer up, Master Bruce, Master Dick," Alfred tried to say lightly as he set breakfast in front of them. "Now that the rest of the Team knows, we shall have her back in no time."

Both of them offered Alfred half-smiles, and the butler figured that was the best he would get. He nodded once before exiting the kitchen.

After a minute of silence, Dick asked the question that had been on both their minds:

"What do you think she's doing?"

* * *

 **Undisclosed Location, Somewhere in S.E. Canada  
Thursday, March 17, 2011  
0702 EDT**

"Agent 23."

The agent in question glanced up from breakfast and found Irene standing behind her.

"You have an audience."

Agent 23 nodded and stood from her seat and followed the gray-haired woman out of the mess hall.

They entered Vandal Savage's office to find he wasn't alone.

"Ra's, this is Agent 23," Vandal Savage introduced once the door was closed. "Agent, I'm sure you're familiar with Ra's al Ghul."

"Yes, Sir," 23 nodded at Vandal before bowing respectfully to Ra's. "Great One," she addressed.

"Stand, child," Ra's said, and 23 did as she was told. Vandal gestured to the second chair across his desk and 23 sat obediently.

"I won't waste any time," Vandal said brusquely. "Ra's would like you to visit the League of Assassins' base."

For a moment, Agent 23 could only stare open-mouthed at The Great One. "I would be honored," she said once she had remembered who she was openly gawking.

"Yes, I thought it would be a fitting birthday gift," Ra's said with a small smile. "After all, seventeen is, for some cultures, the official age of adulthood."

"When-when would I leave?" 23 couldn't help but stutter.

"Today," Ra's said. "Right now, in fact."

23 turned to Vandal, who nodded. "I hate to lose my best agent," he said, "but I believe your time with Ra's will prove to be...eye-opening."

Agent 23 found his word choice odd but didn't make any indication she thought so. Ra's stood and she followed suit.

"I have a helicopter waiting," Ra's said. "There is no need to collect anything. You will be provided for entirely during your stay."

"Thank you," Agent 23 said as she followed a step behind Ra's.

The walk to the tarmac was uneventful, as everyone was now in a class. Agent 23 squinted as she approached the helicopter, its blades whipped the air and picking up bits of grass and small pebbles. Ra's offered her a hand before climbing in after her. She glanced out the window to Vandal. He gave her a slight nod as the helicopter began to rise.

"Make yourself comfortable," Ra's said, already reclined in a seat, his eyes sliding close. "It is a long ride."

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Thursday, March 17, 2011  
1203 EDT**

"Hey, Morgan!"

The redhead turned from her locker to find two of her friends, Marion Gray and Alison Weber, hurrying toward her.

"What's up?" Morgan asked as she closed her locker.

"Dick Grayson!" was all Marion exclaimed.

Morgan couldn't help but roll her eyes. He was a grade below her and their schedules didn't overlap. "I don't have class with him," she reminded as the trio made their way to their usual lunch spot. As they sat at the table, she asked, "So, what about Dick Grayson today?"

"I just came from French and oh. My. God," Marion huffed. "I don't understand how he gets such good grades!"

"It's probably because of who his dad is," Ally commented with a shrug, pulling out her sandwich and unwrapping it. "If Bruce Wayne was _my_ father, I would probably speak several languages fluently."

" _You're_ fluent in German," Marion groused.

"You get what I mean," Ally waved off. "They travel all the time and entertain plenty of foreign businessmen. It makes sense he would be able to at least make small talk."

"Yeah, but why can't we all have Bruce Wayne as a father?" she pouted.

Ally rolled her eyes and said something else, but Marion stopped listening. _Bruce Wayne_...

She had never given much thought to Gotham's White Knight. Sure, he was on the news periodically and Lisa and David somehow knew him, but he was just another one of Gotham's elite.

But a memory had just resurfaced. Back when Morgan had been first telling Naomi about who her mother was, Naomi had left to receive a call. Morgan had jokingly asked if it was Batman, and Naomi hadn't said no. With surprising clarity, Morgan now recalled the name that had flashed across Naomi's phone screen.

 _Bruce Wayne_.

"Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

"You totally spaced out," Ally said. "I just asked you if you finished the English assignment."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Morgan reached for her backpack and pulled out the asked-for papers. As she turned back to her lunch, Dick Grayson caught her eye.

He was sitting under a tree with Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, and Morgan found herself wondering if Richard Grayson was Robin. After all, it would make sense that if Bruce Wayne was Batman, Robin would have to be someone who was close to him in _some_ way. And looking at him now, hadn't he been the one who had so confidently injected Naomi with that whatever-it-was all those months ago?

"Morgan!"

"What?"

"What's up with you?" Marion asked, half jokingly and half worriedly. "You keep spacing out."

"Sorry," Morgan said, shaking her head a little. "Didn't get much sleep last night. Can't really focus on much."

"You seemed to be focusing on Dick Grayson pretty well," Ally smirked, glancing over her shoulder at the young teen in question.

Morgan couldn't help the blush that started to spread across her pale cheeks and she inwardly cursed her father's Welsh heritage. "It's like you said: I just spaced out. I wasn't _actually_ looking at him."

As Marion and Ally continued to tease Morgan, across the courtyard, Dick was only half-paying attention to what Barbara was saying

He remembered the redhead who had mysteriously had the vial of antidote after Naomi's run-in with Poison Ivy. The one who had turned out to be the daughter of a Greek goddess, and now, the most recent possible Team recruit.

Dick had noticed her gaze his way, and when he had glanced over, he had noticed that her apple-green eyes were furrowed slightly in thought and...realization?

Did she figure out who he was? That he was Robin and by extension, Bruce was Batman? There was no logical link between them and Naomi. She wasn't generally associated specifically with the Wayne name. Sure, the Scotts were influential, well-respected and well-liked, and were seen at the same galas and events as Bruce, but so were dozens of other families and individuals.

So, no, there was no way Morgan could know Batman's and Robin's identities. With that confident thought, Dick turned back to Barbara.

* * *

 **A/N: Another shorty. A little bit happens? This is definitely more of a set-up chapter, specifically with Daisy/Agent 23 and the League of Assassins.**

 **I know that in the YJ universe, Ra's al Ghul runs the League of Shadows. But with what I want to do with the story, I need Vandal Savage to be in charge of the League of Shadows and Ra's to be the head of the League of Assassins.**

 **Let me know what you think! The good, the bad, and the ugly.**

 **Until next time.**


	8. Welcome to the League

**A/N: I don't own anything you recognize.**

 **Sorry it's been so long, but I'm back with another chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range  
Friday, March 18, 2011  
1307 PKT**

Agent 23 was awake by the time the helicopter started to descend. Despite the nearly twenty-hour flight, she hadn't been able to sleep for longer than thirty minutes at a time. Now, the sun was just starting to leave its zenith and 23 was anxious to stretch her legs.

Just up ahead were twin peaks that vaguely reminded 23 of cat ears. They continued to lower, and 23 saw that at the base of the cat-ear mountain were ornately carved wooden doors that blended in well with the rest of the rock.

The copter landed and Ra's al Ghul stood. He offered Agent 23 a hand, which she took, and he helped her off the helicopter once the door had been opened by a League of Assassin member.

"Master." The League member bowed as Ra's stepped off the helicopter. Once she was one the ground, Agent 23 saw that the pathway to the entrance was lined with League of Assassin members, each dressed identically in all black: pants, boots, jackets that were belted shut, and hoods, though those were currently down. Each bowed as Ra's al Ghul walked past, and then fell into step in pairs behind Ra's and 23.

As they approached the imposing wooden doors, they opened silently for them. Once the last set of pairs was through, the heavy doors shut with a booming echo. They were thrown into dimness, and it took Agent 23 a moment to adjust to the sudden lack of light.

"Lunch is waiting," Ra's said to Agent 23, and she nodded. It wasn't until he had said something that she realized how hungry she was. She had been offered snacks throughout their long flight, but the anticipation of going to the stronghold of the famed League of Assassins had turned her stomach in knots and reduced her appetite to nothing.

Ra's lead the way and 23 noticed most of the League members disperse, leaving only about half a dozen trailing Ra's and herself.

They reached another set of impressive double wooden doors, which were opened at the sight of Ra's. Beyond, at a low rectangular table with room enough for twelve, were three figures at the far end, two females and one male. All three stood as the doors opened.

Agent 23 followed Ra's into the room. He gestured for her to take a seat by one of the women. 23 did as the others and remained on her feet until Ra's took his own seat at the head of the table.

"Now that we are all seated," Ra's said, "I think introductions are in order."

The young woman on his right, Nyssa Raatko, offered Agent 23 a small nod and a slight, polite uplift of her thin lips. She appeared to be in her early thirties, with thick black hair that fell in loose waves down to her shoulder blades, large dark eyes, and fair skin.

To Ra's left and the one Agent 23 was seated next to was Talia al Ghul, the second daughter and the only one to take _al Ghul_ as her surname. She was just as attractive as her older sister, with caramel brown hair that hit the small of her back and sharp green eyes that had the same calculating gaze as Nyssa, and 23 doubted anything escaped their notice. Talia just nodded in acknowledgement.

The last person at the table sat across from Agent 23. He was introduced as Longwei Hong, another special guest of Ra's's who had arrived the day before from Hong Kong. He appeared to be the same age as 23, with tan skin and dark hair cut close to the scalp on the sides while falling slightly into his dark almond-shaped eyes.

 _He looks like me_ , 23 thought in surprise, her own dark almond eyes tracing the somehow-familiar lines of his face.

"This," Ra's said, turning his attention to Agent 23, "is Daisy, one of Vandal Savage's most accomplished agents."

On the plane ride over, Ra's had asked if there was another name Agent 23 wished to be called during her stay with him. Almost immediately, her mind had gone to the thin silver chain hidden under her shirt that held a single charm: a small daisy carved from a black stone. She told Ra's, and a small smile had crossed his lips, as though anticipating that answer. But how could he have? He hadn't seen the necklace.

She nodded at everyone again and silently sighed in relief when Ra's declared it was time to eat; she felt wildly out of place here.

Throughout lunch, Daisy couldn't stop herself from sneaking glances at Longwei, though he insisted on being called Chad, a name he felt more comfortable using when not in China. There was something familiar about him, like she had met him before and just forgotten about it. He caught her staring once and offered her a small smile that carried more meaning than she could decipher.

When the plates were cleared away and everyone had received a warm towel, Ra's stood. "Chadwick," he said, "would you mind showing Daisy around the complex? When you're done, show her to one of the family rooms." Daisy was startled by the familiarity Ra's was showing her, but no one else seemed surprised.

Daisy exited the dinning hall to find Chad leaning casually against the opposite wall.

"I apologize for staring," she said once she joined him. "It's just...you seem familiar to me somehow." She absently touched the chain resting on her collarbone, something Chad didn't miss.

He didn't answer immediately, and for a moment, Daisy worried she had made him uncomfortable. She apologized quickly for her statement, but Chad said, "No, please, don't worry about it."

Daisy nodded and continued to nervously touch the chain. Chad smiled a little. "What?" she asked when she noticed his gaze.

"I have something similar," he said. He reached under the collar of his shirt and indeed, hanging from a silver chain a little thicker than Daisy's was a small black dragon.

"Longwei," Daisy whispered, connecting the charm to his name. She pulled out her own chain, showing Chad the daisy.

"Like the daisy," Chad grinned in response.

"I don't understand," Daisy frowned. "How can we share something symbolic if we've never met before?"

"Who said we've never met?"

Daisy's frown deepened. "That's impossible," she said bluntly. "I've been raised at the Academy since before I could walk, and I don't ever remember seeing you at any of the meets."

"Meets?" Chad tilted his head in question.

"Uh..." Daisy rubbed her forehead as she tried to think of a good way to describe the Academy meet-ups. "Vandal keeps his two academies separate," she started. "Every few months, the boys and girls meet, and corresponding levels compete."

Chad hummed in acknowledgement before chuckling. "It'll make sense soon."

She didn't look convinced, but she asked, "How did you become so familiar with Ra's?" to change the subject.

"He's close to my parents," Chad said with a shrug. "I've spent most of my life either here or in Hong Kong."

"How did your parents meet Ra's?"

"You'll learn soon."

"I'm not a fan of these cryptic answers," Daisy stated bluntly.

"Sorry," Chad said, looking sheepish. He flicked the hair out of his eyes with a small shake of his head. "But I promise, you'll get a chance to ask any question you might have."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "So there's more I don't know?" she asked.

"'Fraid so." Chad glanced around. "I guess we should start our tour now."

It didn't take long for them to finish the tour, and they stopped in the family wing, which Chad explained had more rooms than occupants, though that didn't really surprise Daisy.

"Ra's' room is at the very end," Chad said. "Nyssa's room is on the left, and Talia's on the right. I'm the second set of doors from Nyssa. You'll be in that room." He pointed at the set of doors across the way from his own. Daisy glanced questioningly at the skipped doors but nodded. She walked to the narrow double doors that together were slightly wider than a standard door and pushed them open.

"Wow," she mumbled, slowly taking in the spacious room. To the left was a large four-poster bed with at least six pillows and to the right was a sitting area around a low, heavy wooden table.

"Not what you were expecting?" Chad asked. Daisy glanced behind her and saw he was standing at the threshold. She shook her head.

"Not at all," she admitted.

"Dinner will be in a few hours," Chad informed. "There's nothing else Ra's has planned, so you're free to do as you wish. I'll come collect you when it's time to eat."

"Thanks," Daisy said. "I think I'll take a nap. I didn't sleep much on the way over."

"I'll see you soon, then," he said. Daisy glanced back at him and gave him a small smile before he closed the doors behind him.

She walked to the middle of the room and took a second look around. The entire wall opposite the door was made of windows and window seats. Heavy dark purple curtains were currently pushed away from the windows, letting the mid-afternoon sun shine through.

The bed was surrounded by gauzy purple drapes with a chest at the foot of it. There were two small mahogany beside tables, each with their own drawer. An old-fashioned vanity in matching mahogany was close by, and a standing mirror stood between a chest of drawers and a wardrobe.

The sitting area was surprisingly cozy, with plush but not overstuffed cushions strewn on the floor. A low chase lounge was on one side of the low coffee table, and opposite was a low-backed couch, which matched the low-backed chairs that completed the rectangle around the table.

The cool stone floor was almost completely covered by an ornate rug, and on the walls that weren't windows hung textiles and tapestries from various Chinese dynasties. One particular textile hung at the head of the bed, and the simplicity, small size, and the fact that it looked like it was missing a part made Daisy wonder why it was included among the wall hangings, all of which were larger and more intricate.

Daisy realized then that the room's color scheme was dark purple and black, with splashes of yellow thrown around. She frowned; there was something familiar about those colors, those shades...

When nothing came to mind, she sighed and headed for the bed. The mattress was comfortable and the comforter was fluffy. The pillows were firm but conformed easily to her head, and Daisy quickly drifted to sleep.

* * *

Daisy was awake by the time Chad knocked on her door. She opened the heavy wood doors to find him bouncing on his toes.

"Slight change of plans," he said. "There's someone who wants to meet you."

"Who?" Daisy asked, slightly suspicious.

"You'll see," Chad grinned. He turned before Daisy could say anything else, leaving her no choice but to follow.

They ended up outside, past a pristine rock garden, up a thin flight of stairs carved from the mountain itself, and finally to a flat plateau.

Standing at the edge was an attractive woman with flowing dark hair that fluttered in the gentle wind. She was slowly taking in her view, her dark brown eyes picking up every detail. She was dressed casually in dark jeans and a fitted shirt under a jacket. Despite her small frame, she held herself with confidence and a quiet fierceness that Daisy couldn't help but admire.

The woman turned at the light crunch of pebbles beneath their feet and she smiled.

"Mom," Chad smiled. He walked toward her and kissed her cheek and Daisy tilted her head. An image flashed in her mind of a similar scene: a woman with honey-blonde hair and soft green eyes being kissed on the cheek by a young man with stylish curly, light brown hair and bright hazel eyes.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Chad called her name and waved her forward.

"Daisy, this is Daiyu Hong," Chad said when she reached them. "Mom, this is—"

"Oh," Daiyu gasped softly, raising a slightly trembling hand to brush Daisy's cheek. The motion wasn't as foreign as she was anticipating, but Daisy was still taken aback by the action.

"Daisy," Chad said again, "this is probably going to be somewhat shocking, but...well..."

"Oh, honestly, Longwei," Daiyu said, rolling her eyes.

"Right." Chad cleared his throat. Daisy saw his lips move, then saw his and Daiyu's expectant looks, but she was still processing what Chad had said.

 _They're...what?_

* * *

 **A/N: Lame cliff hanger? Tell me what you think.**

 **If you didn't think it was a lame cliff hanger, who do you think these people are?!**

 **I truly hope you're enjoying this story and that you find my characters believable, especially the established DC ones. If you think I can improve in any way, please let me know! I would honestly love to hear what you think.**

 **Until next time.**


	9. Surprise!

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **So...I haven't posted in a long while. I apologize for that. School's been busy, I was keeping up with my sports team, and I've been feeling uninspired as of late.**

 **Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range**

 **Friday, March 18, 2011  
1809 PKT**

"Daisy?"

"Um...yeah..."

"Are you okay?"

"I, uh...just give me a minute."

She had never felt more confused in her life, nor more betrayed. She had been lied to all these years? Had Vandal known? Had Ra's? Was that the real reason she was here?

"So..." she said slowly. "So, I'm..."

"My daughter." Daiyu's smile was hopeful, though quickly becoming worried.

"Daisy?" Chad asked again.

"Did everyone know?" she demanded. "Did Vandal Savage? Ra's al Ghul?"

"Yes," Daiyu said softly.

"Why?" was Daisy's next question. "Why did you give me to Vandal? Why not raise me yourself, with by _brother_?"

"Twin, actually," Chad spoke up. "I'm older, though, by three minutes."

Daiyu shot Chad a look and he shrugged sheepishly. "I know I can never apologize enough for giving you to Vandal," she started, "but I was convinced you would be able to do some good with him at his Academy."

"Then why not send Chad to the Academy too?" Daisy snapped, referring to the separate institution of Vandal's which trained boys in the same style of Daisy's all-female training.

"There were...circumstances that made it difficult to keep you," Daiyu said slowly.

Daisy's eyebrows furrowed. "What circumstances?" she asked.

"Pertaining to the...family business," Daiyu said. "Have you heard of the Sun Yee On triad?"

"Yes," Daisy said slowly.

"Your father's family is powerful within the triad," Daiyu explained. "And my family is prominent within the League of Assassins. Our children are expected to carry on our legacies within the two organizations."

"But why did that mean sending me away?" Daisy pushed.

"It was an opportunity your father and I felt was important we take advantage of," Daiyu said. "We knew of Vandal, his Academy, his reputation, and we thought you would do well."

"And is it everything you dreamed?" Daisy asked stiffly.

Daisy tilted her head slightly at the expression that flashed across Daiyu's face. She looked...sad. Like she was thinking about something she regretted.

"Of course not," Daiyu whispered. Her answer surprised Daisy, and she didn't bother hiding her expression. "I didn't get to know my daughter. My baby girl."

"Why didn't you visited, or ask Ra's to ask Vandal if I could visit sooner?" Daisy asked, her tone less accusing.

"It was against Vandal's code," Daiyu said. Daisy nodded; that wasn't surprising, if she really thought about it. Even if she had a connection to Ra's al Ghul, Vandal wouldn't have let her go until she was eighteen, which was when they graduated and went off into the world, acting on the will of Vandal Savage.

"I-I think I need some...time," Daisy finally said. "I'll...see you later."

"Of course," Daiyu nodded, though she couldn't hide her disappointment.

"Excuse me," she said before quickly turning and hurrying back to the entrance.

Once she was inside, she walked idly through the cavernous halls to her room, her appetite gone.

She heard a door open and several sets of footfalls. Daisy glanced up to see three young Leaguers a few years older than her exiting a training room. She moved to walk around them, but one of them had the same idea.

"Sorry," they said at the same time after colliding into each other. "No, it was my fault," they said again.

The young man chuckled and held out his hand. "I'm Rahim," he introduced as his companions continued down the hall.

"Daisy," she said, shaking his hand.

"You must be new," he grinned, flashing pearly whites.

"What gave me away?" Daisy joked, looking away from his warm toffee-colored eyes, suddenly feeling as though she was under a microscope.

"Oh, you walk around here like you've been doing it your whole life," he assured, sounding impressed. "But I _have_ been walking around here my whole life, and I know _everyone_. But I don't know you."

Daisy nodded and opened her mouth to respond, but Rahim caught sight of someone over her shoulder. "It looks like Chad wants a word," he said, and Daisy turned to find her...brother walking toward her.

"I'll see you around," Rahim said as he moved around Daisy to continue down the hall. He nodded at Chad as they passed, and he raised an eyebrow when he reached Daisy.

"What was that about?" he asked, earning all of Daisy's attention, causing her to miss Rahim glance over his shoulder and run a hand through his dark hair as a small smile crossed his lips.

Daisy shrugged. "Just introducing himself," she said. She raised an eyebrow. "I've spent my whole life without an older brother," she added sternly. "I don't need one breathing down my neck now."

Chad sighed. "I know their decision might not sound like the right one," he said, returning to the topic on their minds, "but they really had no choice."

It only took a moment for realization to dawn on Daisy. She gasped and her eyes widened. "The One-Child Policy," she whispered.

"The One-Child Policy," Chad nodded.

"But...aren't there exceptions? I mean, with the triad, they must have some sway," Daisy asked. "Surely..." Another thought came to her. "Wait..."

Chad nodded. "When were you going to tell me we had an older sibling?!" she exclaimed.

"We were going to tell you about her," Chad said patiently, "but you seemed to be having a difficult time taking in the information you got. We didn't want to overwhelm you."

"I'm already overwhelmed!" she exclaimed. "So tell me now."

"Her name is Meifeng," he said, "but she's also spent time in both Leagues and has taken the name Miranda. She turned twenty-two in January. She has a League of Assassin's name, as well. It's Eayan Alnnusr."

"There are so many questions I want to ask," Daisy muttered to herself. "Why is she associated with both Leagues? Did Vandal and Ra's know we were sisters, that you and I are twins? Does every League of Assassin member have another name? Do you? Do I?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Chad asked.

"The beginning is a great place to start," Daisy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay," he said slowly. "Boys are the preferred sex in China," he started, "so Mom thought Miranda would be happier and safer with the League. She started with Ra's, then went to Vandal about the same age you are now. She's currently on a mission for Vandal, but she was here a few months ago.

"And about the names," Chad said, "every Assassin member is given one, and it usually hints at who they are, what their personality is, or what their special talent is. Sis is an expert archer. My name is Maharib Alttanin, and Mom's younger brother is Makhlab Alnnamr. You'll get to choose your own name when you're ready."

"Wow, okay," Daisy said. "Um...I need-"

"To think, I understand," Chad nodded.

"Thanks," she muttered. They had reached the family wing, and Daisy was just reaching for her door handle when a piercing cry rang out. She jumped and stood guard, but Chad just sighed.

"It's okay," he said, stepping up to the doors between Daisy's room and Talia's. Daisy crept closer and peered in.

The room was dark, save the moonlight that filtered through the open door that led to the balcony. The decorations were sparse, and the main attraction sat in the center of the room.

"A crib?" Daisy asked as she stepped in after Chad. She reached him just as he was lifting a crying baby into his arms.

The boy was an infant, with black fuzz and large blue-green eyes. He was undeniably Talia's. The eyes alone held her superior gleam despite his young age, telling everyone that not only was he better than them, but he _knew_ he was better than them. And despite his baby face, there was a certain porcelain-ness in his cheek bones and eyebrow ridge.

However, there were parts of the baby that were familiar for another reason, one on which Daisy could not put a finger. She could tell the baby would develop a strong, defined jawline and nose, and Daisy had no doubt he would take after his father, whoever that was, in stature and structure.

"Talia's," Chad stated as he rocked the boy in an attempt to get him to settle down. "Ra's seems to know who the father is, but neither of them have been inclined to share."

As the baby continued to wail, a song popped into Daisy's head. "May I?" she requested, holding out her arms. Chad raised an eyebrow but passed the baby to Daisy.

The baby quieted for a moment, seemingly to appraise his new handler. After a brief pause, though, his wailing began anew.

"Shh, shh,' Daisy soothed gently, rocking slowly back and forth. She began to sing softly in French, and Chad watched in amazement as the baby eventually grew drowsy before finally falling asleep.

Daisy finished her song just moments after the baby had drifted to sleep. She held him for a moment longer to make sure he wouldn't wake again before gently setting him in the crib. She and Chad quietly crept out of his room.

"How did you do that?" Chad asked in astonishment once they were in the hall.

Daisy frowned slightly. "I don't know," she said honestly. "That song just came to mind." When Chad continued to stare at her in amazement, she asked, "What's that look for?"

"It's never that easy to get him back to sleep," he said. "It usually takes a while."

Her frown deepened. "Where is Talia?" she wondered. "She should be taking care of her own baby."

Chad shrugged, though he did look slightly uncomfortable with the thought. "She's probably out with Ra's and Nyssa."

"How often does she leave her baby to someone else?"

"Most of the time," Chad admitted. "She's not really the mothering type."

Daisy just nodded, her head swirling with a million thoughts. "Well, good-night," she said finally. She walked to her door, but then paused. "Wait, Chad." Her brother-it felt strange calling him that-turned and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What's the baby's name?"

"Damian."

* * *

 **A/N: Predictable? Cheesy? Let me know what you think about the new family as well as baby Damian.**

 **Also, in case you were wondering, yes, Eayan Alnnusr and Makhlab Alnnamr have made an appearance before with Maharib Alttanin (when Batman and Robin were in Seattle back in Chapter Three).**

 **Eayan Alnnusr means Eye of the Eagle**

 **Makhlab Alnnamr means Tiger's Claw**

 **Maharib Alttanin means Dragon Warrior**

 **Hopefully I'll be back soon, but like I said above, I have been low on inspiration and enthusiasm, not in my characters or the storyline, but in posting.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	10. Induction Day

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **To the Guest who pointed out a few chapter ago that the Team isn't called Young Justice League: I do realize this. It is Morgan who calls them that when Lisa tells her that she will be meeting the Team. She doesn't know that the young hero group is called the Team. She's new. So she calls them that, and Lisa laughs and says that the Team is the Young Justice League.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
Saturday, April 2, 2011  
** **1138 EDT**

The Team milled idly on the beach behind their mountain base. Kaldur had requested their presence, saying only that he had good news.

Morgan sat on the sand, just out of reach of the rolling waves. The sea breeze whipped her curly red hair around her head, obscuring her vision slightly and making it look like flames danced on the ocean's surface.

Robin watched on from a slight distance. Morgan was the only true link to Naomi, and as much as he wanted to talk to _someone_ who had known Naomi longer than he had, he was reluctant. If he went up and talked to Morgan about Naomi, he worried it would give insight to his secret identity. And Batman would _not_ appreciate that.

So instead, he turned away from the sorceress-in-training and went back to listening to what Wally was saying.

"I see Kaldur," M'gann announced a few minutes later. Everyone stood and hurried to the edge of the shore, squinting against the glare of the sun against the rippling water.

Sure enough, rising from the ocean like Poseidon, Kaldur appeared, flanked by two Atlanteans, a male and a female. Both appeared to be Kaldur's age and had light skin. The male had black hair cut to his chin, the top portion swept up in a bun, and bright purple eyes. The female had red hair cut in a stylish bob and electric blue eyes.

They stepped onto the sand and Kaldur said, "Team, this is Garth and Tula. Garth and Tula, this is the Team." Everyone nodded as their names were called.

"I have talked to Batman," Kaldur went on, "and he has agreed to let Tula and Garth on the Team, and they, along with Morgan and Alex, will be inducted today."

Alex let out a cheerful whoop while Morgan settled on a grin.

Over the course of the past few months, Morgan had worked one-on-one with Black Canary to get her up to speed on combat, as well as with Doctor Fate, who helped her learn how to control her powers.

"Batman said he would meet us in the mission room," their leader said before directing the expanding group of teens toward the mountain.

Sure enough, Batman was waiting for them when they reached the mission room.

"Congratulations," he said simply. "As you may know, the League and Team travel primarily using zeta-tubes." He gestured behind him, where two large gray tubes were imbedded in the cave's rock wall. "Each individual has a designation and a code name, which is typically the hero name. You'll be responsible for coming up with your hero name."

Morgan frowned slightly. Codename? She hadn't really thought that far in the future.

Robin caught her expression and slid closer.

"You don't have to go by another name," he informed her. "Artemis and Zatanna don't."

Morgan shook her head. "If I'm friends with Lilith and I don't have a secret identity, wouldn't that put her and her secret in danger?"

She had a point, Robin had to admit. "So, what did you have in mind?" he asked.

After a pause, she said, "Morgana, maybe?"

Robin nodded. "It has a nice ring," he agreed.

Batman called for attention and said, "Each of you will step into the zeta-tube, where you will be scanned. State the name you wish to be called, and I will program your designation into the computer's system."

When the four inductees nodded in understanding, Batman said, "Alex, you're first."

Alex walked forward and stepped into the zeta, facing the Team. Batman clicked a button on the controls, and a laser grid appeared above Alex's head. It scanned down his body before switching to scan him left to right. When the lasers disappeared, Batman motioned for Alex to speak.

"Green Lantern," he said clearly. Batman pressed a few more buttons before nodding.

"Morgan," he said.

Alex stepped out of the zeta as Morgan approached. The process was repeated for her, Garth, and Tula.

Tula was stepping out of the zeta when Black Canary appeared on the holographic screen.

"We think Savage has resurfaced," she said grimly.

"Where?" Batman asked gruffly.

Off screen, Black Canary waved her hand. In the Cave, another screen popped up, showing a map of California. Two blinking dots appeared: San Francisco and San Diego.

"Both port cities," Batman murmured, mostly to himself.

Black Canary nodded. "He's expecting a mass weapons shipment, divided between those two ports. I'll send the info now."

Batman nodded before waving his hand, making Black Canary's image disappear. It was quickly replaced by a screen of text, which Batman skimmed through.

"The shipments are planned for tonight, at nine P.M. local time," he informed.

Morgan's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Was she about to go on her first mission, _ever_?

Batman scanned the Team before he said, "You'll attack on two fronts, in two squads, Alpha and Beta. Aqualad and Robin, you'll be squad leaders."

The two glanced at each other before nodding at Batman.

"Aqualad, you'll lead Alpha, with Superboy, Artemis, Zatanna, Green Lantern, and Tempest. You'll be going to San Francisco," Batman said.

"Beta will be led by Robin, with Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Rocket, Morgana, and Aquagirl," Batman addressed next. "Your destination is San Diego.

"There are zetas by the docks of each city, so there's no need to take the Bio-Ship. Give yourselves time to stake out the area, so make sure you get there early. I'll leave it up to you exactly when you leave."

Everyone nodded in understanding. Batman checked the time again. "It's noon," he said. "Spend the time between now and the departure time getting ready, making a plan of attack, and whatever else you might need."

More nodding. Batman gazed at the Team. "Good luck," he said before turning to the zeta.

* * *

Morgan paced nervously in the small Cave bedroom she had been shown a few days before. Somehow, Batman had managed to move up the time frame of her uniform, so now she was dressed in a short dark purple romper in the style of a Greek chiton, the color reminiscent of Lilith's uniform accent color. The shorts hit her mid-thigh and were loose, so when she stood still it gave the appearance of being a skirt. The shoulder straps were about four fingers wide, and the V-neck was modest. Her sandals were gold and a simple gold chord was tied around her waist.

At the moment, she wasn't wearing her glamour charm, which was a glass teardrop about the length of Morgan's thumb and just a few shades lighter than her uniform. It hung on a gold mesh chain, which was currently dangling from her fingers. Once she put it on, her appearance would change to everyone not on the Team or the Justice League. Her eyes would become solid green, radiating the power of her mother, and the angles of her face would become sharper, giving her resting face a cold, shadowed look.

A soft knock came at the door and Morgan jumped. She hurried to the door and found Robin, dressed in his own uniform, at the door.

"We still have an hour before Kal wants us to leave," he said. "But he's calling everyone to the hanger to go over our attack plan, to make sure it's as coordinated as possible."

"Okay," Morgan nodded. Robin started down the hall and she hurried after him.

They arrived at the hanger to find the rest of the Team waiting. Morgan noticed Tula, Garth, and Alex looked just as nervous as she felt, and she was glad she wasn't the only one with a churning stomach.

While Kaldur went over the final details with his squad, Morgan let her eyes wander around the Team, making idle note of everyone's uniforms.

Garth was dressed similarly to Kaldur, in a teal muscle top with black block patterns over the shoulders. His shorts were the same shade of blue-green, with black flaps that covered the exterior of his thighs. Tula was wearing a lemon-yellow no-sleeve crop top with aqua-blue accents, and a slightly darker blue sarong was wrapped around her waist. Both were barefoot.

Like all Green Lantern uniforms, Alex's was unique. His pants were black, with thick green stripes up the side. His boots were green and went to mid-shin, and the sleeves of his shirt went half way down his biceps. From the top of his sternum down, the shirt was green. The rest of the shirt and the sleeves were black. The Green Lantern emblem was over his left pectoral and stood out against the black background. He wore no mask, though the power from his ring turned his hazel eyes bright green.

Kaldur finally turned to the rest of the Team. "Our priority is the shipment," he said, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "Should any of us see Lilith," he started slowly, " _do not_ attempt to apprehend."

He said the words as though they physically pained him, and Morgan wondered what his connection to Naomi was.

"Why?" Conner demanded. "If one of us sees her, shouldn't we do everything we can to get her back?"

There were a few nods of agreement, and Kaldur took another deep breath. "Some of us may have trained with her, but we do not know if her fighting style has changed at all. We should know what we are dealing with before we attempt to approach."

Robin nodded and spoke up. "Batman has created cameras for each of us to wear," he said, and he started passing out said cameras. "He wants us to take video of Lilith in action if we can so that we can study it after the mission. Pin it to the front of your costume and you'll have several hundred hours of battery life and video footage."

When he was finished handing out the cameras, he went back to his squad. Kaldur requested everyone to stay in the hanger until their departure, and everyone drifted into separate corners to prepare, mentally or physically.

Morgan couldn't sit still. She paced, muttering under her breath and occasionally causing sparks to jump from her fingertips. Her necklace was hanging off the thin gold chord around her waist, and every once in a while, she rubbed the glass pendant absentmindedly.

Alex sat on one of the many thin ledges that dotted the hanger's cave walls. One leg hung over the edge and the other was bent at the knee, where he propped his elbow. He stared off in the distance as shapes appeared and reformed from his ring.

Tula and Garth were in the water beneath the others. They stood slightly apart, each working on their mystic arts. Their tattoos glowed with power as the water created intricate shapes or became mini storms.

Wally munched on an energy bar with his arm slung over Artemis's shoulder as she talked with Zatanna and Raquel. Conner and M'gann sat together, speaking in low tones.

Kaldur and Robin sat side-by-side. No words passed between the two, but they understood each other. Their anxiety was exponentially greater than any other member of the Team. Yes, those on the Team who had worked with her loved and respected her, but none had the same connection to her as they did.

Wally glanced over and noticed his oldest friends' faces. Artemis followed his gaze and after they shared a brief glance, the speedster went to them.

"We'll get her back," he assured them quietly as he sat beside them. "We have the Team and the League working on it now. There's nowhere on Earth she could be kept that we won't find."

Kaldur managed a small smile of appreciation while Robin's turned into a grimace. The latter sighed and began fiddling with a birdarang in his lap, just wanting to get this mission over with.

Kaldur finally called time. Everyone gathered around Aqualad at the zeta, and he took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" he asked.

They nodded, some with more conviction than others. Aqualad nodded once before stepping into the zeta, and Alpha Squad followed behind them. After waiting a beat, Robin typed in the coordinates for the San Diego zeta-tube. One by one, Beta Squad stepped in.

* * *

 **California Coast  
Saturday, April 2, 2011  
2103 PDT**

As planned, Alpha and Beta had landed in California about an hour before the target time of nine P.M. It was now three past the anticipated time, and both squads were getting antsy, mostly because the possibility of seeing Lilith was setting them on edge.

Aqualad sighed and touched the comm-link in his ear. "Alpha to Beta," he said. "Anything?"

"Negative," Robin reported from San Diego.

"There's nothing suspicious," Superboy grumbled from a building across from Aqualad. "Just some late-night crew."

Robin straightened, rescanning the area. "S.B., Kid," he said. "Switch to infrared. Check if the crew members are armed."

A moment later, Kid Flash nodded and said, "Affirmative," while Superboy grunted in agreement.

"Those are our guys," Robin declared, setting down his binoculars.

"What's our next move?" Artemis asked, walking closer to the edge of the building next to Aqualad to scan the area below.

"Wait for them to make the first move," Aqualad decided.

"Shouldn't be get on top of them?" Green Lantern asked, standing on the rooftop behind Aqualad and de-glowed to keep the green light from attracting attention.

"No," Robin agreed. "We need to make sure we know exactly what we're dealing with." he turned to his squad.

"Morgana," he addressed, "do you have an invisibility spell?" She nodded. "Then you and Miss Martian, scout below. See if you can determine exactly how many there are. Miss M, report the number telepathically."

Morgana took a deep breath; this was it! Her first mission assignment on her first mission ever. She muttered a spell under her breath in a language Robin recognized as sounding Greek, but not quite.

 _Must be Ancient Greek_ , he mused as Morgana shimmered momentarily before fading from view. Miss Martian pulled up her hood before going into camouflage mode. She flew to the edge of the roof and proceeded to flow down. The space beside her shimmered faintly as Morgana stepped off the roof. Miss Martian levitated Morgana to the ground, and once the demigod's feet were on solid earth, they took off.

In San Francisco, Aqualad turned to Zatanna. "Would you be able to extend an invisibility spell?" he asked.

"I think so," Zatanna said.

"Then you and Artemis will do the same as Miss Martian as Morgana," Aqualad instructed.

Zatanna nodded and Artemis went to stand beside the magician. " _Ekam em dna Simetra elbisivni_ ," she chanted. The magician and the archer faded from sight. " _Etativel su,_ " Zatanna's disembodied voice said next.

After a few minutes, Artemis reported in a hushed voice, "I count about fifteen goons."

 _"Robin, I see fourteen, all armed,"_ Miss Martian reported a moment later.

"Aqualad, we have fourteen," Robin reported to Alpha.

"And you heard Artemis's report?" he asked.

"Yes," Robin said.

"So what now?" Artemis asked quietly, and it was obvious she was getting twitchy. They all were. It was now half an hour after the designated time, and there had been no action. Just guys with guns walking around.

"Wait a second!" Rocket hissed from a building catty-corner to Robin's. "I see more people!"

"Female?" Robin asked immediately.

"Yeah," Robin nodded. "Over there." Robin, using his binoculars, followed her finger, where a few buildings down, five shadowed figures came into view.

"I see six over here," Green Lantern reported, sitting up straighter when he saw the dark figures.

"Let's go," Aqualad said grimly.

"You heard him," Robin said, turning to his squad. "Come on."

Each squad followed their leader down from the rooftops and to the docks below.

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
Sunday, April 3, 2011  
0123 EDT**

"That was a total bust," Conner growled as Alpha and Beta met in the mission room.

"We stopped the shipment," M'gann pointed out. "That has to count for something."

"It does." The Team turned to see Batman approach them from the zeta. "Those guns are military grade and illegal in most countries around the world for civilian use."

"But we did nothing for Lily," Artemis sighed.

"It's okay, babe," Wally said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "We won't stop until she's found."

"Get some sleep," Batman said. "I'll call if anything else comes up."

Robin walked with him to the zeta and they reappeared in the Batcave.

Dick yawned as he made his way upstairs. He glanced behind him to see Bruce sitting in front of the computer. He sighed and continued to his room.

After changing and sending his uniform back down to the Batcave, Dick flopped onto his bed with a groan. It had been about three months since Naomi had disappeared, and so far, there hadn't been any sighting of her. Everyone was getting desperate.

With a sigh, Dick grabbed his cell phone from the bedside table and stared at the home screen background.

It was a picture Lucius Fox had taken on a whim one day while Dick and Naomi were at the office with Bruce. They were gathered around Bruce's computer, their faces concentrated on what was on the screen. If Dick remembered correctly, Lucius had informed Bruce of a new engine prototype that was going into the Batmobile.

Dick stood on Bruce's right, Naomi on his left. It had been the first time he had seen her exclusively as Naomi, not as Lily or Lilith, and he had been taken by surprise by her choice of dress. Usually, as Lily, she wore dark fitted jeans and a tank top under a black leather jacket.

Instead, that day she was dressed in light blue jeggings and a short, loose light gray blouse with the Union Jack printed on the front. Dick couldn't see her feet, but he recalled she had been wearing low-heeled black leather ankle boots, and tossed casually on the other side of Bruce's desk was her dark gray jacket.

None of them had been aware Lucius was at the door, and it had been his delighted chuckle that drew their attention to the door. Dick had grumbled about having his picture taken without his knowledge, Naomi had rolled her eyes at his reaction, and Bruce had laughed.

It had been a simpler time. A better time. A time to which Dick wanted to go back.

* * *

 **A/N: At some point, I would like to give Morgan her own "language" for her magic. I figure since she is half god, she would have a different system for channeling her magic, instead of Zatanna's backwards incantations.**

 **Also, I noticed that anytime a new member joins (the inductees, regardless of if they are actually on the list to join the Team), they get right to business.**

 **The Team was originally founded because Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash (and Lilith in this story) went to Cadmus.**

 **Artemis joins and the Team goes to Happy Harbor to protect Dr. Roquette from the the League of Shadows.**

 **Zatanna joins and they run off to find Red Tornado and end up battling Red Volcano.**

 **And then Rocket joins and they find the plane crash and recover the mind-controlling bugs that Savage plants on the League.**

 **So, I figured I'd continue the tradition, though the tradition has never had so many recruits at one time. I hope I did it justice and I hope it made sense in context and whatnot.**

 **Anyway, until next time.**


	11. The Ninja and The Sister

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

 **The Batcave  
Saturday, April 16, 2011  
2021 EDT**

"Sir, you have a call from Japan."

"Patch it through, Alfred," Bruce said, not taking his eyes off the mega-computer screen.

"Bruce." Kairi Tanaga's voice was somber.

"Kairi," he said, slightly surprised. Kairi Tanaga had been a student with him under Sensei Yoru back in Bruce's younger days. Since he had left, they had only spoke once or twice. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to let you know Sensei passed away last night," she said.

Bruce let out a heavy sigh. "He was a great teacher and mentor. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes," Kairi said. "But it was peaceful, in his sleep," she added. "I am making funeral arrangements, and I have been calling all the former students to let them know the funeral will be in a few days."

"I'll be there," Bruce promised. "See you then." Once he hung up, he called Alfred through the intercom. "I'm flying to Japan for Sensei's funeral," he informed.

"I presume I will be staying behind with Master Dick," Alfred guessed.

"Yes," Bruce nodded. "Call the pilot, tell him we need to get in the air as soon as possible. And let the board know I"ll be out for the next three days or so, attending to a personal matter."

"Right away, Sir," Alfred said. "I'll get your suitcase out as well."

Seventeen hours later, Bruce Wayne landed in Sapporo, the largest city on the northern island of Hokkaido. From there, it was still a two-and-a-half hour drive to the city of Biei, where Sensei Yoru's dojo was located.

It was around eight in the morning by the time Bruce was finally settled in his hotel room. It was the day before the funeral, so he decided to re-familiarize himself with the small city.

The next day was the funeral. It passed in a blur, and before Bruce knew it, he was standing in the dojo with the other students, former and present.

Kairi was making the rounds, as the dojo had been left to her by Sensei Yoru.

"It was lovely," Bruce said when Kairi reached him. "And thank you, again, for letting me know about Sensei."

"I know what he meant to you, and vice versa," Kairi said with a small smile. She glanced around before grabbing Bruce's arm and leading him to a corner.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You remember Yoshi Hara, yes?" she asked him softly. Bruce's eyebrows furrowed as he nodded. "Sensei has been keeping tabs on him since he left the dojo," she informed. "It has not been easy, but he did it."

"Where is he now?" Bruce asked.

Kairi glanced around again, as though worried someone might overhear them. "He was headed toward west Asia. Where exactly, Sensei was not sure."

Bruce had a hunch, though.

 _What would Ra's al Ghul want with The Ninja?_

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range  
Tuesday, April 19, 2011  
0754 PKT**

Breakfast was just finishing when the doors opened. A League member bowed before saying, "Master, your guest has arrived."

Ra's smiled and waved off the Assassin, who bowed again before turning down the hall. "Come," he said, standing from his place at the head of the table. "There is someone I would like you to meet."

Daisy stood and followed Nyssa, Talia, and Chad through the halls and outside to the rock garden.

A mand was wandering slowly through the garden. He was dressed in all black, and Daisy almost thought he was another League of Assassin member. But instead of the hooded jacket, his top seemed to simply be a long-sleeved thermal. A katana was sheathed at his side, along with a black pouch. He finally turned around.

"Ah, Ra's," he said in accented English. "So good to see you again."

"Kyodai Yoshi Hara," Ra's greeted with a close-lipped smile. "You know Nyssa and Talia, of course, though I am unsure if you have met Chadwick."

"We have met once," Chad answered, bowing to Kyodai Yoshi.

"Indeed, _Maharib Alttanin_ ," Kyodai Yoshi said with a slick smile.

"And this is Daisy," Ra's introduced, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She is—"

"Yes..." Kyodai Yoshi said slowly, his eyes finally going to Daisy. "You have indeed mentioned her before. She has been studying with Vandal Savage all these years, correct?"

"Yes," Ra's said. "And she and Chadwick are the reason I requested your audience. I would like you to further their training."

Kyodai Yoshi was smiling again. "It would be an honor," he bowed. "Just as it was an honor to train Nyssa, Talia, and the twins' older sister."

"When could you get started?" Ra's inquired.

"Right away, if it pleases you," Kyodai Yoshi said.

"Excellent. Nyssa, Talia, come. You have other matters to tend to."

They bowed to Kyodai Yoshi before turning and heading back inside the compound.

"I will see you for lunch," Ra's said to the twins. "Kyodai, you may stay as long as you see fit."

"Thank you," he bowed again. "Now, let's get started."

He drew his katana and pointed it at Daisy's sternum. "You have been trained in the way of the spy," he stated before sweeping the blade to Chad. "And you, the way of a saboteur."

In one swift move, he sheathed his sword again. "The Great One has called upon my assistance to train you in the way of the ninja."

* * *

That evening after dinner, Chad approached Daisy and asked, "Do you wanna work on that sword hold Kyodai was showing us today?"

"Sure," she nodded before following him to an empty training room.

Except it wasn't empty.

Daisy watched Chad's demeanor change in a heartbeat. He stood taller and his posture became rigid. His eyes grew cold and his face guarded.

"Mei."

Their sister was the same height as Daisy and just slightly more muscular, her hair cut sharply at her shoulders with a distinct scar running vertically from her right eyebrow to the right cheekbone. She was beautiful and no doubt deadly.

"{You're the sister,}" she said in Mandarin, looking at Daisy, appraising, studying.

"{I am,}" Daisy responded, standing taller and meeting the cold brown eyes with her own steady gaze.

"Hm." Mei drew her katana before walking to the sword display and grabbing a second sword. She tossed the sheathed katana to Daisy, who caught it easily, and said, "{Let's see what you can do.}"

Daisy slid the sword from its sheath and Mei was on her in a flash. Daisy brought her sword up to block Mei's first blow and the metal clanged as it met.

As the two fought, Chad inched closer to the sword rack. He was impressed at how quickly Daisy had picked up the techniques and skills from their first lesson with Kyodai Yoshi, but he could tell she was still vastly outmatched.

Daisy's face was set as she fought, giving no indication she knew she was way over her head. Her first show of emotion was when Mei jammed the buttcap of her katana into Daisy's side before quickly sliding her own arm between Daisy's and her chest, causing the younger girl to loosen her hold on her sword. Once Daisy's right arm was open, Mei slashed her exposed inner arm and she cried out in pain.

In an instant, Chad had the tip of his sword against Mei's neck.

"{That's enough,}" he said darkly.

Mei scoffed and stepped away from Daisy, who had dropped her sword completely to grasp her bleeding arm. "{She's a child,}" she sneered. "{I don't understand what all the hype was about.}"

"You know as well as I do that Vandal's emphasis isn't on long blades," Chad reminded in English. "Give her time."

Mei didn't respond, just scoffed again and turned on her heel, wiping Daisy's blood from her sword lazily before dropping the rag carelessly on the ground.

"Let me look," Chad sighed once Mei had left.

"I'm fine," Daisy snapped. "It's just a scratch."

Chad raised an eyebrow at the blood that was still seeping from between Daisy's fingers.

"That doesn't look like 'just a scratch,'" a new voice spoke up.

Daisy snapped her head up to see Rahim in the doorway.

"I'm fine," she repeated, her scowl deepening.

"Will you stay with her?" Chad asked Rahim. "I need to get something to clean the wound."

"Sure," he shrugged, stepping into the room and approaching Daisy as her twin walked away. "Do you want to sit?" he asked, already sinking to the floor.

"I get the feeling you'll just tackle me if I say no," Daisy muttered as she followed suit.

Rahim chuckled and reached for her arm. "Let me take a look." Daisy didn't move for a moment, holding his gaze challengingly before finally acquiescing. She slowly pulled her hand away from the cut that wrapped around her bicep. The bleeding had slowed but not stopped.

"You might need stitches," he frowned before reaching for the hem of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Daisy demanded with a frown.

"We need to stop the bleeding," he said without stopping his motion, and in one move, his shirt was over his head. "And your hand wasn't quite cutting it."

Dasiy scowled again and stared stubbornly at her bloody left hand, which lay palm side up on her thigh.

"Scared of a little blood?" Rahim teased as he tore a strip from his shirt and began tying it securely around Daisy's arm.

"No," she exclaimed quickly, snapping her gaze up to meet his. He smirked as he caught her eyes drop below his chin for a fraction of a second.

"Like what you see?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "It's not my fault it's in my face."

"Sorry," Rahim shrugged, not sounding sorry at all, as he finished binding her arm. Keeping one thumb secure on the cloth, he carefully poked one end of the cloth under another before leaning forward.

"What—" Daisy started to lean away but Rahim's free arm shot out to hold her in place.

"I need to tighten the knot," he explained. "And I can't do that with just one hand."

"I have a free one, you know," Daisy said, holding up her bloody hand and wiggling her fingers for emphasis.

"No need for you to get blood everywhere," Rahim said before leaning forward again and catching one end of the tie with his teeth. Daisy sat frozen, hardly breathing, as Rahim slowly pulled the knot tight.

Finally, he sat up and slid his thumb from under the newly formed knot, though he kept his hand wrapped around her arm.

"How does that feel?" he asked, looking down at Daisy.

"Fine," she said shortly, lifting her chin slightly to meet his gaze.

His eyes were soft, surprisingly so, as they slowly traced her face. He frowned slightly when his sights settled on the four newly-formed scars on the left side of Daisy's face.

He started to ask how she had gotten them when Chad reappeared. Daisy jumped slightly and straightened—when had she leaned toward Rahim?—though he didn't seem as worried about their innocent positions.

Chad didn't mention it. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow and said, "I hope that cloth was sterile."

* * *

 **A/N: I did totally use the Kyodai Ken character from the animated Batman series from the 90s.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	12. CopyBat

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **A quick update for once, but I honestly really want to get deeper into the story, despite the low inspiration and the case of writer's block.**

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Saturday, April 30, 2011  
2307 EDT**

Robin stood beside Batman on the roof of a building in downtown Gotham. It had been a slow night, and Robin was getting itchy for some action.

As though he had summoned it, Batman's police frequency crackled to life.

"Burglary at the First Bank of Gotham!"

"They got out through the backdoor!"

"They're heading east!"

"I count five!"

"Watch out!"

Batman turned to Robin. "That's our cue," the Boy Wonder grinned. The Dynamic Duo swung down to the Batmobile and then sped off in the direction of the bank.

The sleek black Batmobile soon joined the half dozen or so police cars. With its superior engine, the Batmobile quickly left the cop cars in the dust and was soon right on the van's tail.

Batman set the car into autopilot and opened the roof of the Batmobile. He and Robin readied their grapple guns when suddenly, a lithe, feminine figure appeared on top of the van. There were some exclamations from the men inside, and soon the _pop pop pop_ of bullets echoed in the otherwise quiet night.

"Who's that?" Robin called over the wind.

"Don't know," was Batman's short response. "But we're about to find out."

The figure reached the cab of the van and reached into the driver's window. The van began to jerk back and forth, indicating she had grabbed the wheel. With one final twist, the van overturned and she leapt off at the last second, landing safely on the sidewalk as the van skidded to an eventual stop.

Batman removed the autopilot feature and brought the Batmobile to a stop as the police cars screeched to a stop behind them.

After ensuring the would-be burglars were safely cuffed, Batman and Robin turned to the girl, who had stayed behind to watch her handiwork.

"Who are you?" Batman demanded lowly as the pair approached, not quite going into full Batman mode.

She squeaked in surprise and dashed away. As she passed under a dim street light, the Dynamic Duo saw she was dressed in black leggings and a dark purple tunic. Black hair flowed out from beneath her ski mask, but it looked...off.

Robin took a step forward, but Batman held him back.

"We can take her!" Robin exclaimed.

"Yes," Batman agreed, "but I get the feeling this isn't the last time we'll see her." He walked back to the Batmobile.

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked as he followed the brooding bat.

"Did you see the way she was dressed?" Batman said. "The black and dark purple, the hair."

"You think she's a Lilith imposter," Robin realized. "But what about her hair?"

"It looked like a wig," Batman explained. "Which means we don't know her real hair color, so there's no chance of picking up a sample."

"Right..." Robin said slowly as they walked back to the Batmobile. "And you knew that how?"

Batman glanced at him as the engine turned over. "You didn't see? It looked wrong."

"Oh," Robin said, unsure what else to say. "Yeah, I guess so." After a second of thought, he said, "But what if we could get a sample of the wig?"

Batman slowly nodded as he began to process what Robin was suggesting. "And if we could figure out where the wig was made, or even purchased, we might be able to get a name."

Robin let out an exclamation as his body was thrown into the car door as Batman whipped the Batmobile around to head back the way they had just come.

"Retrace where you saw the new vigilante," Batman instructed as they got closer to the crime scene. "And keep to the shadows," he added when they saw the red and blue police lights still flashing.

He parked a few blocks from the overturned truck. He and Robin hopped out again before slipping through the shadows to get closer.

"You get the alley," Batman said. "I'll take the truck." Robin nodded in understanding before the older hero began sneaking closer to the swarming site.

Robin tapped the edge of his mask, switching to night-vision in the hopes of spotting a strand of hair. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. "It's like some fairytale," he muttered. " _I must find the one whose hair is a perfect match_ ," he said dramatically.

He shook his head and continued his methodical scan of the sidewalk and the alleyway.

"B!" he exclaimed when he reached the fire escape. The bottom level's railing was broken, and Robin spotted a scrap of cloth caught on the sharp edge. He easily hopped onto the landing and discovered the one scrap of cloth was actually two, one black and one purple, making Robin suspect she had torn her tunic and the leggings beneath.

"What did you find?" Batman asked from the alley below. Robin landed in front of his mentor with the cloth safely in an evidence bag.

"Pieces of her uniform," Robin said, passing the clear plastic bag to Batman.

"Did you find any trace of the wig?" Batman asked next. Robin shook his head. "All right," the Bat said. "Let's go."

When they finally got back to the Batcave, Bruce took the fabric samples to the forensic station.

Dick started absentmindedly at the Batcomputer screen as the magnified image of the dark purple cloth from the microscope appeared.

"So, based on the color choice and the black wig, you think this might be a Lilith imposter," Dick reiterated after a moment.

"Yes..." Bruce muttered, looking up from the microscope to one of Naomi's uniforms, which was on its mannequin between the empty ones for Batman and Robin.

"So we're looking at a copycat," Dick stated.

"It would explain the need for a wig," Bruce nodded. "If this girl is inspired by Lilith and if she wants to be like her, she would probably want to get as many details correct as possible, the most obvious of which is her hair color."

"A copy _bat_ then," Dick grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with humor. Bruce rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile a little too.

* * *

 **A/N: So, who do you think this CopyBat is?**

 **Definitely a filler, but I promise, the action picks up the next couple chapters, with a history lesson, new canon characters introduced, and more Naomi-as-Daisy in general.**

 **Until next time.**


	13. Family History and Return of the CopyBat

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range  
Wednesday, May 11, 2011  
1203 PKT**

Brother and sister were side-by-side on a thin ledge along the mountainside. They sat in comfortable silence, eating their lunches.

"Can I ask you something?" Daisy asked as she stared out over the ridge.

"You just did, didn't you?" Chad countered with a cocky smirk.

Daisy rolled her eyes and gave his thigh a light shove with her foot. "What was your childhood like?"

"It was...challenging," he started slowly. "I was constantly making trips between Hong Kong and here. I spent half my time with Mom and the League and the other half with Dad and the triad. Both understood I was being trained by the other, but that didn't mean they went any easier on me."

"Oh, woe is me," Daisy couldn't help but reply sarcastically. "You grew up _knowing_ your mother and father and _knowing_ your legacy and _knowing_ you were loved."

Chad sighed. "You're right, of course," he said. "I can't even begin to understand the childhood you had, or what you must be feeling after learning all of this.

"But Mom and Dad do love you," he told her. "There's a picture at our house in Hong Kong, of Mom in bed with both of us." A faraway look came to Chad's face. "We were just a few days old, and pink and chubby. At that point, we were basically identical; they had to put colored bows on us to tell us apart!"

Daisy laughed at the mental image of every being mistaken for Chad, or vice versa. Besides the obvious gender difference, Daisy's cheekbones weren't as obvious as Chad's, and the curve of her jaw was softer. Their eyes and eyebrows, though, were definitely similar: almond shaped with long, thick eyelashes that refused to curl and eyebrows that were just a shade or two lighter than their nearly-black hair.

"I take it our parents met on a mission?" she asked next.

"Yeah," Chad nodded. "Mom was on her first mission with the League. The triad was moving a large supply of weapons and asked for the League's assistance. They kept in touch and eventually got married. And here we are."

"What is our older sister like?" Daisy's voice was soft but the curiosity was impossible to miss.

Chad was silent for a moment. "She grew up much like you, but reversed. She was trained first by the League of Assassins, and then when she was eighteen, she went on a stint with the League of Shadows. She's one of the best I've ever seen, and both Ra's and Vandal seem quite proud of her.

"As for her personality...She's intense," Chad said. "She's very exact in her words and actions. She can act very cold sometimes, especially when meeting someone new."

Daisy snorted. "Yeah, I sensed that when we met," she said dryly.

Chad sighed. "She's cold even toward Mom and Dad, though she is _slightly_ less cold toward the family than others," he admitted. "And given the fact you've been...away all these years, it might take some time for her to warm up to you."

She nodded. After a moment, she said, "What's the deal with the names? You and she have birth names—"

"Ju," Chad interrupted.

"What?"

"The name you were given at birth," he explained. "Ju. It's the reason your charm is a daisy."

"And yours is a dragon," she realized. "What about Mei?"

"Eagle," he said. "It's also the meaning of the name she chose. Alera."

"When do I get my League name?" Daisy asked, mostly joking.

"There'll be a ceremony," Chad said straight-faced.

It took her a moment to realize he wasn't joking. "Why the pomp and circumstance?" she asked.

Chad shrugged. "It's been that way since the League started."

"Hmm." Daisy went back to nibbling on the food from her plate.

Later that afternoon, Daisy and Chad were finishing their training with Kyodai Yoshi when a Leaguer entered.

"The Master wishes to see you two," she said to the twins.

Kyodia nodded as Chad and Daisy turned back to him for confirmation. "You are doing well," he said. "I will see you at our next training session."

They nodded and bowed before following the Leaguer out into the hall.

Ra's was waiting with a tall, strict-looking man who had graying dark brown hair and icy blue eyes.

"For all the times you have visited," Ra's said to Chad, "I do not believe you have met this man."

"No, I don't believe so," Chad replied.

"This is Chadwick and Daisy Hong," Ra's introduced, "the younger siblings of Meileng and twin children of Daiyu. I believe you have worked with both in the past."

"Yes," the man nodded. " _Al'Ahmar Alyashm Almuazafin_. Trained in the bō staff, if I recall. And _Eayan Alnnusr_ is currently with Vandal Savage, last I heard. She was nearly perfect."

Ra's nodded. "Children, this is one of the greatest assassins the League has ever seen. May I introduce you to David Cain."

"The pleasure is all mine," David responded with a cold smile, and Daisy frowned fractionally.

 _David?_ In David Cain's spot, another man flashed before Daisy's eyes: nearly as tall but not nearly as muscular, with short salt-and-pepper hair and kind brown eyes. She blinked away, and David Cain reappeared.

"There is a reason I asked you to meet Mr. Cain," Ra's said to Daisy and Chad. "I have decided that while you are under my care, there are people I would like to train you. Kyodai Ken is the first. David shall be the second."

"It would be an honor," Chad said first, and Daisy quickly nodded in agreement.

"Until our first lesson, then," David said before turning down the hall and entering a training room.

"That is all," Ra's said. "You may head to your rooms to clean up before dinner."

They nodded and followed David's path down the hall. The door of the room he had entered was open a crack, and Daisy glanced behind her to make sure Ra's was gone before walking to the door and peering in.

"Daisy!" Chad hissed. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and literally swept her off her feet. Daisy was too surprised to let out any exclamation.

"Hey!" she finally exclaimed once they were a good distance from the door and Chad had placed her on her feet again. "What was that for?!"

"You can't go around peeking!" Chad explained, looking exasperated and like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Our whole job is to peak!" Daisy shot back, putting her hands on her hips. "We're supposed to stick our noses where they don't belong!"

"Not here," Chad said firmly, and his eyes told Daisy it was time to stop arguing. She huffed but didn't press the matter further. He let out a relieved sigh before saying, "Now come on. Dinner's in an hour and we still need to get washed up."

Daisy nodded and they walked in silence to the family portion of the large mountain hideout. She grabbed a new set of clothes before walking to the bathroom and turning the taps on the standing shower, waiting for the hot water to fill the room with steam.

Once Daisy finished her shower, she wrapped a towel around herself before getting dressed. She paused in front of the mirror and gave her reflection a good, hard look.

 _This is me. Agent 23. Ju Hong. Daughter, sister, spy, killer. You are unbreakable_.

* * *

 **Gotham City  
Saturday, May 21, 2011  
2233 EDT**

It had been nearly a month since the mysterious new Lilith had appeared in Gotham, and Batman and Robin were finally on her tail.

It had been a slow night, so Batman had instructed Robin to keep an eye out for the new Lilith. An hour later, and here they were, outside a jewelry store robbery.

Robin started toward the edge of the roof, but Batman held him back.

"Wait," he instructed.

"But she's clearly a rookie!" Robin argued.

"She's held her own this far," Batman countered. "We'll intervene, but only if she needs help."

"Fine," Robin grumbled.

The two watched as the Fake Lilith dodged a punch from the first burglar only to get kicked in the back by the second. She whirled around to face him and got the wind knocked out of her with a punch to the solar plexus.

"Now we intervene," Batman sighed. They swung down in unison and each knocked a burglar off their feet by plowing into them and sending them into the brick wall. A final burglar emerged from the shop and Fake Lilith kicked the gun out of his hand before Batman punched him out.

"I had that," Fake Lilith wheezed as she rubbed her diaphragm.

"I beg to differ," Robin shot back, turning to face her for the first time. This Lilith had a cheap plastic mask now, replacing the ski mask, exposing bright blue eyes Robin would recognize anywhere. He opened his mouth to call out her name, but Batman put a hand on his shoulder.

"You seem to be doing well," he said, "but you still have a long way to go before you can do this safely."

"Someone needs to protect the streets," Fake Lilith said. "And you appear to be down a hero, so why not me?"

"You're new to this life," Batman stated, "and I don't think you realize the danger in which you are putting yourself by not being properly trained."

"I saw the gun," she argued.

Batman's frown deepened. "You were lucky," he corrected. "You may not catch a break next time."

Her blue eyes twinkled. "So, you're not going to lock me up in some cave for working in Gotham?"

"I get the feeling you'd end up on the streets, one way or another," Batman grumbled.

"So you're train me?" the girl asked, though she sounded as though she already knew the answer.

Batman didn't respond. Instead, he turned back to Robin. "Let's go," he said gruffly.

"What about me?" the Fake Lilith called after him.

"Stay off the streets," Batman responded without turning around.

Behind the Dynamic Duo, Fake Lilith huffed and grumbled under her breath.

"You really think she'll listen?" Robin asked as they got back in the Batmobile. Batman started the engine and when the headlights turned on, she had already vanished. Robin strained in his seat and saw her small form clambering up the side of the building and across the rooftop.

"Not a chance," Batman said, not even looking.

When they reached the Batcave, Dick raised an eyebrow at Bruce as they hopped out of the Batmobile and over to the computer.

"You realize who the copybat is, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Bruce said, and Dick had a feeling if he was anyone else, it would have been scoffed. "I think the real question is why she has suddenly taken it upon herself to protect the streets of Gotham."

Dick pursed her lips. "Should we confront him?"

"Which her?" Bruce asked. "Civilian her or... _copybat_?" Dick grinned at Bruce's use of his nickname as the latter rolled his eyes.

"Both? Either?" Dick shrugged.

"And what exactly are we telling her?" he asked next. "Are we telling her we know she's a vigilante, or are we telling the vigilante we know who she is?"

When Dick didn't respond, Bruce glanced over at him. "Until we have a plan, we don't tell her we know," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," Dick said in an exaggeratingly gruff voice, snapping to attention with a salute. He let out a huff as he relaxed and glanced around the cave. In the months he had become friendly with Naomi, they had gotten into the habit of spending free time sparring, working through Bruce's training courses, or fighting together against training robots.

It was quiet now, just the sound of Bruce at the keyboard and the distant chittering of bats as they came and went pressing around Dick.

"Are we heading out again?" he asked Bruce, frowning as he looked around the dim cave.

Bruce nodded and started to stand when the phone began to ring. "Yes, Alfred?" he asked.

"There's a call from Japan, Master Bruce," Alfred responded.

"I'll take it down here," Bruce said. "Thank you." He turned to Dick. "You go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

"All right," Dick said as he put his domino mask on again. "But if this is about Naomi, we're working _together_ , remember."

Bruce rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yes, I remember," he said. "Now get going."

"You got it, boss." Robin saluted before jogging to his motorcycle. He started the engine and sped out of the cave.

Bruce turned back to the computer and answered the call. "This is Bruce Wayne," he said.

"I think Yoshi Hara is in Europe." It was Kairi Tanaga.

"Are you sure?" He sat up straighter, his eyes widening. "Where did you get this information?"

"One of the students has been keeping tabs," Kairi said. "She said there was recent activity on a credit card in his name, booking a flight from Pakistan to Paris. I thought you would want to know."

"Yes," Bruce nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Thank you. I'll see what I can find."

"Good," Kairi said. "Good-bye, Bruce."

"Bye, Kairi."

Bruce immediately went to work on his computer. After confirming the charge, it didn't take him long to find the cab fare, hotel room, and meals.

Alfred came down a few minutes later to find Bruce burning a hole in the computer screen.

"Shall I inform the business partners you will be out of town, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as he glanced at the map on display.

"Yes, please," Bruce said after a moment.

"And will Master Dick be accompanying you?"

"No," he said as he shook his head. "Dick shouldn't be missing school for what might be a wild goose chase."

"Very well, Sir." Alfred's voice was measured, but Bruce could tell he was hiding how hopeful the trip would turn out to be fruitful. "When shall I book your flight and hotel?"

"I'll do it," Bruce said as he stood and pulled on his cowl again. "In the meantime, I'd better make sure Dick doesn't get all the glory tonight."

Alfred chuckled at Bruce's small smirk before he turned with a flick of his cape and headed for the Batmobile.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Until next time.**


	14. First Sighting

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **So, a guest commented on the first chapter that they hoped this wouldn't be a cliched story where Naomi loses her memory. Guest, if you have stuck around this long, then you know that, indeed, Naomi has no recollection of her time in Gotham as a hero. And if you have stuck around, I hope you've enjoyed the story. If not, I understand and I'm sorry to see you go (even though you wouldn't be around to see this comment).**

 **I'll admit, when I first conceived of this idea, to have Naomi get taken back by Vandal Savage, it seemed pretty obvious to have him erase her memories and implant new ones. There was a reason she ran away when she was ten, and that was because something didn't feel right about what she was learning. Savage never gave up on the hopes of one day being reunited with his best agent, and while he would have preferred her to come back of her own volition, that obviously didn't happen. So to keep her with him, he would have to make her think she had been with him her entire life.**

 **Anyway, I hope this explains a little why I went the direction I did. This is also the longest chapter currently posted, so I hope there's enough to keep you satisfied until the next update (though probably not, since I'm not entirely sure when I'll be posting again).**

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range  
Thursday, May 31, 2011  
1302 PKT**

Daisy wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel as Yoshi Hara collected his equipment.

"You have progressed well," he told the twins once he was upright again. Both bowed and thanked him, which he waved off with a light smile. "No need for that, children," he assured. "It is my pleasure to train you."

A League member was waiting for Chad and Daisy as they exited the room.

"From Ra's," the young blonde woman said with a hint of a Russian accent. She passed a note to Daisy before walking away.

With a frown, Daisy unfolded the small piece of paper. She raised an eyebrow as she skimmed the message before crumpling it in her hand with an eye roll.

"What?" Chad asked.

"It seems Ra's has a mission for me," she said, sounding less than thrilled.

"Are you kidding?!" Chad exclaimed. "Why aren't you celebrating?"

"Because of who I have to work with," Daisy grumbled.

She passed the note to Chad, who unrumpled it to read its contents. When he reached the end, he burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" Daisy demanded.

Chad didn't respond, just shook his head, a light smile still on his face as his chuckles failed to die.

"What's with all the merriment?" a new voice asked.

Daisy rolled her eyes with slight distaste. "Think of the devil," she mumbled to herself. She turned around to face said devil. "Rahim," she addressed dryly.

"I see your sister still likes me," Rahim grinned, though his eyes were on Daisy. "You ready?"

"Give me a minute," she sighed. She turned to Chad. "I'll see you in about a week."

"Don't kill anyone while you're gone," Chad whispered as he leaned down to kiss her forehead with a chuckle.

"No promises," she responded with a wry smile. A few minutes later, she was walking through the massive front doors with a duffle bag slung across her body. Rahim was waiting for her by a small plane.

"Let's get this show on the road," he said brightly.

Daisy just rolled her eyes and tossed in her duffle before hopping on herself. Once she and Rahim were seated, the plane took to the air.

She sighed once they had reached altitude and stared out the window at the fluffy clouds below. It had been nearly six weeks since she had last talked to Rahim, though they had seen each other around the compound and had been in a few training sessions together.

"How's your arm?"

Daisy looked away from the window to find Rahim had taken the seat across from her. She glanced at her right upper arm, where the slash she had received from her sister was in the process of healing.

"Scabbing nicely," she shrugged before turning back to the window.

"Glad to see you didn't need stitches," he said.

"I told everyone it was just a scratch," Daisy muttered.

"if you have a problem with me, you might want to air it out," Rahim said bluntly. "We will be spending a week together."

Daisy frowned slightly. It was true. She didn't know him, but she was being cool toward him for no particular reason.

"You're right," she said, her tone slightly surprised. "I apologize for that."

"No worries," Rahim said with an easy smile, a smile that seemed to be his signature.

Daisy took in his posture: relaxed in his seat with his arms rested on the armrests, completely exposing his chest to attack.

"How are you so...laid back?" she asked, becoming conscious of her own posture: straight back and leaning into her left armrest, her hands clasped loosely in front of her and her right arm glued to her exposed right side.

Rahim seemed to notice the same thing because he chuckled and got to his feet.

"What are you—" Daisy asked quickly, her eyes following him as he walked around to the back of her seat.

"I'm helping you," he said as he rested his hands on Daisy's shoulders. She tensed. "I gotta know, though," Rahim said as he slowly eased Daisy's back into the plush seat. "I've heard you were one of the best spies in Vandal Savage's camp. But you stick out like a sore thumb; how did you get that reputation?"

"Excuse me?" Daisy raised an eyebrow and leaned forward again so she could twist in her seat to stare at him. "I'm a perfectly good spy!" she exclaimed.

"Guess we'll find out." He winked before walking to the back of the plane.

Daisy grumbled under her breath and slumped in her seat. Who was he to judge her? Then again, who was she to judge him? With a huff, she pulled the deep hood of her League-issued jacket before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

* * *

 **Paris, France  
Thursday, May 31, 2011  
1807 CEST**

"I'm awake."

Rahim raised an eyebrow and chuckled, withdrawing the hand that had been reaching for Daisy's shoulder and moving to sit in the chair in front of her.

"You're good," he commented.

Daisy lowered her hood. "Of course I am," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I talked to the pilot," he said. "We'll be landing in about thirty minutes." Daisy hummed in response and went back to staring out the window. "Here."

She glanced back at Rahim and saw he was holding out a manila folder. Daisy reached out and took the folder before leaning back in her chair. She opened the silver tabs and flipped open the closing flap to reach the contents inside.

"All the documents and paper work you'll need for our stay in Paris," Rahim explained as Daisy flipped through the sheet-protected papers, a new passport declaring her to be Bridgette Ming of Paris, France.

"Who are you?" she asked, glancing at Rahim.

"Julian Azar," he answered. "There should be an itinerary in there," he added.

Daisy rifled through the pages again and found the schedule. "We're going to an opera?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the page. "It says it's the opening of the piece; do we need an invitation?"

Rahim snorted, causing Daisy to glance up at him. "We're members of the League of Assassins," he said. "We don't need an invitation."

"And how do we explain who we are and why we're there?" Daisy challenged.

"There's a bio for you to read," he said. "If you need to, just spin off of that."

"So we're doing this just because we can?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Do you always answer a question with a question?" she shot back.

Rahim exhaled sharply in irritation. "Look, we've been told to do this," he said. "That's the only explanation we need." After a pause, his expression grew questioning. "I thought you would have been taught about need-to-know at the Academy."

"Just because I learn something doesn't mean I'm going to follow it."

"Whatever," he said, rolling his eyes. "We'll take separate cabs from the airport to our hotel," he pushed on. "There will be clothes for the week provided." Rahim reached into a bag by his side and pulled out a cell phone and a small booklet.

Daisy caught both items easily before glancing at the booklet. After leafing through the pages, she turned on the phone.

"There's only one number in there and it's the one connected to my phone," Rahim explained. "Apps have been installed but disabled; you just need to pass it off as the phone of an everyday student."

They spent the last few minutes of the flight in silence, which was fine by Daisy. Once the plane landed, they grabbed their bags and stepped off the aircraft.

Two sleek black sedans were waiting on the tarmac, each of the drivers standing at the passengers' side backseat door.

"{See you tomorrow,}" Rahim said in perfect French before approaching one of the cars. The driver opened the door for Rahim before closing it behind him and walking around the front of the car to get into the driver's seat. The engine started before pulling away smoothly.

" _Mademoiselle_?"

" _Oui, oui_ ," Daisy said as she walked toward the second car. She offered the young man a smile as she climbed into the backseat. She stared out the tinted windows as the engine turned over.

It was just a few minutes to the hotel, situated on the Champs-Élysées, and it wasn't long before Daisy was standing in her room.

"Home sweet home," she muttered. She could have been put in a worse room, that was for sure. The king-sized bed was the main focus, the remaining area set up with a small sitting area with a loveseat and a chair around a coffee table, all across from a flat-screen television.

Daisy dropped her duffle bag on the bed and began pulling out the drawers from the chest under the T.V. to put away the clothes she had brought. Once the duffle was empty, she walked to the closet and tossed it on the floor. A garment bag was already hanging, and Daisy figured it was for the opera.

With a huff, Daisy glanced at the bedside clock. It was about half past six, and the city was still buzzing. Why not spend some time getting to know the city in which she would be spending the next week or so?

* * *

 **Paris, France  
Saturday, June 4, 2011  
0926 CEST**

Bridgette Ming didn't glance up when a body dropped into the seat across from her.

"{Nothing startles you, does it?}" Julian Azur chuckled.

"{No, can't say anything does,}" she deadpanned, still not looking up from her book.

The waitress came back when she saw the new body at her table and after Julian ordered, the table grew silent: Bridgette reading and Julian people-watching.

It wasn't until both had finished their breakfasts' that Bridgette finally looked at Julian.

"{We haven't done anything since we got here,}" she said, slightly irritably. "{I thought we had a job to do.}"

Julian dropped a folded piece of paper in front of Bridgette. She raised an eyebrow but picked it up and unfolded it. In small, neat print was an address and time.

"{What is this?}" she asked.

"{Just meet me there,}" Julian grinned. " _Au revoir_."

"Yeah, yeah," Daisy muttered as Julian placed a few bills on the table. He winked at her before placing his sunglasses on his nose and strolling down _la rue._

* * *

 **Op** **éra National de Paris  
Saturday, June 4, 2011  
1903 CEST**

" _Monsieur! Monsieur!_ "

Bruce Wayne smiled politely as he stepped out of his limo, carefully straightening his tuxedo jacket as he did. He waved as he walked down the path cleared by red velvet ropes, pretending to ignore all the reporters shouting questions at him, most of them, "What are you doing in Paris?" and "What brings you to the Paris opera tonight?"

He sighed in relief once he was inside and the reporters turned to the next person exiting their car. Most of the people inside didn't spare him a glance, for which he was grateful. Those who did look at him were mostly the women, and Bruce didn't want to stop long enough for them to gather the courage and approach.

Once he had shown his ticket and reached the appropriate floor, Bruce walked to the bar.

"Old Fashioned, _s'il vous pla_ _ît_ ," he said to the bartender.

" _Oui, Monsieur._ "

Bruce thanked the man again once the glass was in front of him. He had just raised the drink to his lips when a feminine voice called out, "Brucie?" He tensed before realizing who the voice belonged to and he relaxed.

"Ronnie," he greeted with his first genuine smile on the trip once the woman reached him.

"It's been a while, Brucie," Veronica Vreeland said as Bruce kissed her cheek in greeting.

"Has it?" Bruce asked, wondering how that could have happened. The red-headed socialite was someone he had known since before his parents' deaths. Though originally from New York, Veronica's mother was a Gotham native and another member of the city's elite. As a result, Veronica would spend summers with her parents at their Gotham residence and attend any event that took place.

"The last time I saw you," Veronica said as she waved down the bartender, "I was just finalizing my divorce."

"Right," Bruce nodded, recalling the charity dinner from February. "So, how is single life treating you?"

Veronica rolled her eyes. "What a cliché line," she said with a martini glass at her lips. "I expected better from you, Bruce."

"My apologies," Bruce chuckled. "But seriously, how have you been?"

"Oh, you'll be sorry you asked!" Veronica exclaimed, her dark azure eyes growing bright with excitement. "First of all, you won't _believe_ who I saw while in Rome! It was just after my divorce..."

But Bruce was no longer paying attention to what his friend was saying. Naomi had just stepped out of the elevator.

* * *

"Who paid for the tickets?" Daisy muttered under her breath to Rahim once they had shown their opera tickets at the door.

"Don't worry," Rahim whispered back. "Everything's legit."

"If you say so," she mumbled. In a normal volume, Bridgette said, "{So, is this what all the fuss was about?}"

"{Yes,}" Julian replied with a chuckle. "{Though truthfully, I think we're only doing this to make him happy.}"

While Bridgette wasn't sure which "he" Rahim was referring to, she shrugged and let it go.

"{This way.}" Julian put an arm around Bridgette's waist as he started for the elevator banks.

"What are you doing?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

"We're on a date," he reminded quietly. He glanced down at her and saw her smile was strained. "{Relax,}" he soothed. "{There's no need to be nervous.}"

"{You're first time to the opera house, my dear?}" an older woman asked with a kind smile.

"{Yes,}" Bridgette said, rubbing her bare arm while her tense smile morphed easily into a nervous one. "{It's just so...}"

"{Overwhelming?}" the woman suggested.

Bridgette laughed a little. "{Yes,}" she said again. The elevator dinged, signifying their floor and also sparring Daisy a longer conversation with the stranger. "I hate you," she muttered under her breath to Rahim as they stepped off the elevator. Rahim just laughed and led Daisy to the bar.

"{What would you like?}" Julian asked Bridgette as he leaned casually against the polished wood surface.

"{Rosé,}" she said.

He waved down the bartender and after showing their I.D.s, ordered the wine for Bridgette and a scotch on the rocks for himself.

Once their drinks were placed in front of them, Rahim lifted his glass to his lips. "Do you see the man behind me, talking to the red-headed woman?" he murmured.

Daisy gave a brief nod of her head as she took a sip of her wine. She had noticed him almost immediately. He was maybe in his early thirties, with black hair slicked back neatly and clear azure eyes. His tuxedo was immaculate and his shoes were polished so well Daisy figured he could see his reflection in them.

However, it had not been his good looks or even his location—directly in her line of vision as she stepped off the elevator—that had made her notice him. It was the fact that his eyes had widened when he spotted her and had held a recognition in them that startled her. It had been gone in an instant and he went back to chatting with the woman in a navy blue gown beside him, but Daisy had had enough training to read his expression.

"What about him?" she asked Rahim.

"Just keep an eye on him," he said quietly.

"What? Why?"

"{I think you'll enjoy this opera,}" he said instead.

"{Oh?}" she said, her lip twitching downward in displeasure at his side-stepping. "{What makes you say that?}" she asked, relaxing again and falling into the role of Bridgette Ming.

* * *

"{So?}" Julian asked as the house lights came on.

Bridgette glanced sidelong at him and wrinkled her nose slightly. "Pass," she muttered under her breath.

"Is that so?" Rahim whispered in her ear as they waited to join the flow of people waiting to exit.

"{What about you?}" she murmured back, turning her head slightly to find herself nose to nose with him.

"{What about you}" he repeated.

"{Give me a good ballet any damn day,}" Bridgette grinned back.

"{Really?}" Julian asked, sounding surprised. "{Who knew?}"

Bridgette rolled her eyes. "{Everyone at the Academy,}" she snorted. "{Part of standard training.}"

"{Oh, dear, you're classically training?}" a woman interjected, dripping in furs and diamonds; Bridgette immediately disliked her. "{Have you considered auditioning for the Paris ballet?}"

Julian glanced down at Bridgette, who looked as though she was trying not to laugh. "{No,}" she said, clearing her throat. "{School for me.}"

"{With your looks, who needs a brain?}" the woman exclaimed with a robust laugh. "{Just consider it, honey!}"

Bridgette's demeanor changed in a flash. Her smile dropped and her eyes became cold and it took a subtle pinch to her side by Julian to remind her of where she was and the role she was playing.

"{It's true, though,}" he whispered in her ear again. "{You do look quite nice tonight.}"

"{Just nice?}" Bridgette questioned, relaxing slightly. "{And just tonight?}"

"{I was under the impression you didn't like me,}" Julian said, quirking an eyebrow.

"{Doesn't mean a girl will turn down a compliment,}" she smirked.

"{I'll keep that in mind.}"

Bridgette glanced behind her to see Julian with an innocent smile and she just rolled her eyes.

They stepped into the elevator and as the doors started to close, someone called out in poor French, "Hold the doors!"

A man standing by the controls pressed the button and the people inside the elevator shifted to make room for the tall, well-muscled man who was slightly out of breath.

" _Merci_ ," Bruce Wayne said to the man who had held open the doors, who nodded before turning back to his date.

Bridgette glanced at the richest man in the states. His hands were clasped loosely behind his back, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, and whistling the theme of the opera, oblivious to the looks the native Parisians were giving him.

The elevator ride was a short one and once Bruce Wayne had wandered away, Bridgette turned to Julian.

"{Will you tell me now why you told me to keep an eye on Wayne?}" she asked.

"{Tell me what you observed,}" Julian responded in lieu of a proper answer.

Bridgette huffed but followed along. "{He looked like every other rich person here,}" she stated.

Julian rolled his eyes. "{What else?}" he asked.

She was silent for a moment, reviewing all she had observed from her limited time around Bruce Wayne.

"{He looked relaxed,}" she started. "{But he also seemed to be acutely away of his surroundings.}" Julian nodded. "{When we were standing at the bar, he was carrying a conversation with the woman he was with, but he was also watching everyone else. When we were in the elevator, he was an American in Paris; he didn't try to blend in with the crowd.}"

"{Good.}" Bridgette eyed Julian suspiciously.

"{It sounds like you know something I don't,}" she said accusingly. "{I don't like not knowing.}"

"{Anything else?}"

Bridgette's nostrils flared ever so slightly as her fists clenched at her sides. When Julian's expression didn't change, she took a deep breath before replying, "{Given his actions tonight, he's more than just the playboy billionaire the papers paint him as. So, the question becomes: who is he?}"

Julian nodded. "{Good,}" he said again. "{We'll get a cab back to the hotel and then we'll get to work.}"

"{What are we doing?}" Bridgette asked, feeling her heart beat pick up at the anticipation of going on a mission.

She grumbled profanities under her breath when Julian ignored her and flagged down a cab instead. The short ride to the hotel was quiet and Bridgette dashed out of the cab when it stopped. She was already at the elevator banks by the time Julian caught up with her.

When they reached their floor, he said, "Let me change and we'll set up in your room," before turning right.

"Yeah," Daisy grumbled as she turned to the left for her room.

After unlocking the door, she propped it open with the secondary lock before unzipping her dress and letting it pool on the floor. She pulled the pins from her head as she walked into the bathroom, letting her long, heavy hair fall from its messy low side bun.

Daisy let out a relieved groan as she massaged her scalp before tossing the jeweled pins onto the bathroom counter as she passed. After sweeping her hair into another bun, this one higher on her head, she redressed in a tank top and shorts.

She walked into the bathroom and began removing the makeup before finally washing her face. Once she had rinsed away the soap, she remained leaned over the sink to let some of the excess water drip into the sink.

"How long are you going to stand there like a creep?" she called, holding out her hand.

Rahim chuckled as he finally stepped into the bathroom and placing a towel in Daisy's outstretched hand. She smothered her face with the soft towel as she straightened. Once her face was dry, she found Rahim leaning against the counter, dressed in his tux pants and a fitted white undershirt, his back to the mirror and his head turned to the side.

Daisy rolled her eyes as she stepped around him to get back to the bedroom. "Now you decide to honor my privacy," she snorted as she tossed the towel behind her without a glance.

"It's not my fault you left the door open," Rahim countered, catching the towel easily before under-handing it onto the bathroom counter.

"So, what's this work we're going to do?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips expectantly.

Rahim placed his duffle on Daisy's bed and began pulling out supplies. She raised an eyebrow.

"We're not actually going out?" she asked as Rahim set up two laptops and began plugging them into the wall and into each other along with about a half a dozen other cables.

"I don't think I ever said we were going out," he said. "I just said we were going to work."

Daisy huffed before climbing onto the bed and pulling one of the laptops closer to her.

"Hey!" Rahim exclaimed, snatching it back. "I'm not done!"

"Whatever you say," Daisy said dryly. Rahim rolled his eyes and went back to work. After a few minutes, he finally arranged the laptops in front of Daisy before joining her at the headboard of the king-sized bed.

The laptop in front of Daisy showed another hotel room, and by the style and decorations, she guessed it was another room at this hotel.

She raised an eyebrow. "Who are we spying on?" she asked.

"Wait for it..." Rahim said as he began typing out a string of code on the laptop in front of him.

"You know, I'm getting really fucking tired of that answer," she snapped.

"It'll be worth it," Rahim said coolly, unperturbed by her hard glare or cursing.

Sure enough, a moment later, Daisy was sitting up straighter on the bed.

"Bruce Wayne?" she asked, only mildly surprised.

Rahim rolled his eyes (again). "After all the questions I asked you after everything you observed, did you really think we would leave him for the evening?"

"Point taken," Daisy muttered. She glanced over at Rahim's laptop again, the code finally making sense to her. "How do you expect to get that bug on his computer without directly sending it to him?"

"Ever heard of spam?"

Daisy's eye roll was more aggressive than Rahim's had been. "If we suspect he's not the brainless playboy he pretends to be, don't you think he'll be careful not to open a spam email?"

"That's why we'll be sending it to his assistant."

"Look who's clever," Daisy said with begrudging respect. "So, when does this little beauty go live?"

"In three...two...one." With one final keystroke, the email was sent.

"Now how do we—"

"Know it worked?" Rahim finished. He closed the window on his laptop and another camera image appeared, this time from an office building.

The camera was turned to the back of Bruce Wayne's receptionist, a young blonde woman who appeared to be getting ready to leave. An email alert pinged, and she turned to her personal computer again.

"Ooh," she said as she opened the email link. "Cute."

"And here we go," Rahim said. He closed the camera view to a new home screen.

"Do you really think there'll be anything on Wayne's work computer?" Daisy asked as she leaned over to get a better view of the computer screen, her tank top riding up her back slightly as she did. She ignored the chill, her attention fully on the working code.

"There might not," Rahim admitted. "But even so, we'll be able to get onto Wayne's personal phone and laptop once he gets close enough."

"If that's it, why are we watching Wayne?" Daisy asked, flopping back to her side of the bed.

"Because he's a person of interest," he said as he began breaking down his set-up.

"Whose?"

"Ra's."

"Why does Ra's have such a keen interest in an American billionaire?"

Rahim side-eyed Daisy. "Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Daisy snapped back. Rahim rolled his eyes as he finished packing up the laptops and cables.

"We leave in two days," he said, standing and slinging the bag over his shoulder.

"That's it?" Daisy demanded, jumping to her feet and running to block Rahim's exit. "We travel to Paris, have no plans, and then watch a stupid opera just to get eyes on Gotham's White Knight?"

"Your point?" Rahim sighed, leaning against the wall.

"My point," she growled, "is I usually don't operate without knowing what the mission is."

"You're not working for Savage now," Rahim said coldly. "Ra's and Vandal might be allies, but they do not play by the same rules."

His icy tone didn't phase Daisy. "Care to fill me in?" she challenged.

"Sorry," he said, stepping around her. "Ra's explicitly told me not to tell you."

"Nuh-uh." Her arm shot out to stop Rahim from leaving. He sighed tiredly, standing just in front of her and off to the side, meaning to glare at him, Daisy had to crane her neck up. "You don't get to just drop this bomb on me, that you know and I don't deliberately!" she declared. " _Tell me_."

"Sorry," he said again, leaning down to speak in her ear. "Can't help you."

Daisy shoved him back. "Ass," she grumbled before marching back to her bed. Rahim just chuckled as he walked out of her room.

* * *

 **Wayne Manor  
Friday, June 10, 2011  
2156 EDT**

"We're home, Master Bruce."

He sighed tiredly, leaning his head briefly against the cool glass of the door's window. "Good to be back," he admitted as he straightened and got out of the car.

Alfred raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He could only image what Bruce had discovered was something big if it had him this shaken up.

And it was true. Bruce hadn't been able to think of anything else but seeing Naomi at the opera. It was obvious she was playing a character, with the flawless French and easy-going conversation with her companion. But the question was why was she there? Who was the young man? And why did Yoshi Hara's credit information lead him to Paris? Was that just a coincidence, or did Yoshi know Bruce was on his tail and thus sent him on a wild goose chase? Or did Yoshi know and intend to send Bruce to Paris with the express intent of him finding Naomi?

Those questions distracted Bruce through the house and it wasn't until he was seated in front of the Batcomputer in the Batcave that he collected his thoughts and turned from worried kinda-father to world's greatest detective.

He pulled out the watch he had been wearing at the opera and after removing the back, connected it to the computer so he could download the pictures he had managed to take. He leaned back in his chair as he waited for all the files to transfer.

"My word..."

Bruce whirled around to find Alfred standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Is that..."

"Yes," Bruce nodded, turning back to the computer, which showed the last picture uploaded.

It was the last clear shot of Naomi, as she and her companion were standing in the elevator. She looked more adult, with more makeup than the two men were accustomed to seeing on her but not overdone. The dress was strapless and rose pink with a full-length, two-layer skirt, the bottom layer solid and the second sheer. Both skirts had a modest slit up the left leg, coming to a stop at the knee. Her nude heels gave her an extra four inches, and her hair was swept to the side in a low, messy bun, held in place by pins decorated with small pink crystals, which matched the stud earrings and choker necklace she wore.

"But I thought you were going after that Ninja chap," Alfred said, confused.

"So did I," Bruce admitted. "But I went to the opera, and lo and behold, there she was."

"Who's the young gentleman with her?"

"Not sure..." Bruce said slowly as he closed all the pictures but one, "but if I can get a hit from the facial recognition algorithm..." He boxed the young man's face off before saying, "Computer, start facial recognition."

"Facial recognition, started," the computerized voice announced.

"Who's the dude?"

Bruce whirled around again, this time to find Dick walking toward them.

"Someone I ran into during my trip," he said. "Have you taken your finals yet? Or is that next week?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "Next week," he said. "Anything I can do on this guy?"

"No," Bruce said, shaking his head. "Right now, all we can do is wait."

"All right," Dick nodded. "I'll go change, and then I'll be ready to go," he said.

"Sounds good." Bruce smiled at Dick as the young hero jogged to the changing room before turning back to the computer. He opened the images again and after one last look at Naomi, closed the tabs for the evening.

* * *

 **A/N: They've seen each other!**

 **What do you think of the chapter? Of Rahim? If you have any questions about Daisy's/Naomi's companion, feel free to ask!**

 **I'd love to know what you think of the story thus far.**

 **Until next time.**


	15. Undercover

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **Been a minute, huh?**

 **I lost inspiration for the story for a while. Well, that's not entirely true. I had lots of ideas come to be, but all of those ideas were for further in the Five Year Gap and then after Season Two.**

 **I've started writing again, for this story and a story for Avatar: The Last Airbender, so hopefully that kick-starts my motivation for writing.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

 **Wayne Manor  
Saturday, June 18, 2011  
1022 EDT**

"Master Dick. I expected you to sleep longer."

Dick's last final had been the previous afternoon and he was just stumbling into the kitchen.

The raven-haired teen snorted as he shuffled over to the island. "This is late for me, Alfie," he joked.

"Breakfast, Sir?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, please," Dick said through a yawn as he slumped into a seat at the island.

The doorbell rang just then and Alfred glanced up in surprise, though he took a step away from the stove.

"I got it," Dick said, jumping to his feet. "I forgot to tell you I invited Babs over."

"Ah," Alfred nodded, turning back to the task at hand. "Shall I prepare a second serving?"

"I'll ask!" Dick called as he hurried out of the kitchen. He opened the door and grinned at his oldest friend.

"Morning!" Barbara chirped.

"Morning," Dick parroted. "Alfred's making breakfast. Want anything?"

"If he happens to have one of his famous scones, I wouldn't say no," she said, grinning.

"I think he might." They arrived at the kitchen and Barbara went straight for the designated pastry cabinet

"Good morning, Miss Gordon," Alfred said to the back of Barbara's head.

"Morning!" she replied, though around the bite of orange-cranberry scone, it sounded more like, "Mo-rin!"

"Ah, I see you found the scones," Alfred said, not turning from the stove where he was just finishing Dick's breakfast.

"You know how I love them," Barbara replied, taking a seat across from Dick at the kitchen island.

"Naomi says that all the time," Dick said absentmindedly, his eyes becoming unfocused as he thought about all the times he had heard Naomi comment how much she loved Alfred's cooking.

"Naomi?" Barbara asked quickly, hoping her face wasn't turning green with envy. "Who's that?"

"Oh, uh..." Dick glanced at Alfred, his eyes slightly wide in a message that clearly read, _Crap!_ He turned back to Barbara. "You know the Scotts, right?" he asked.

She nodded and then realization dawned on her. "Oh, right!" she said. "She's two grades ahead of us, right?"

"Yeah," Dick nodded. "Bruce is close with her parents, so I've gotten to know her too."

"I remember her," Barbara continued. She paused, tilting her head in thought. "Now that I think of it, I don't remember seeing her after winter break."

"She got an opportunity to study abroad, so she took it," Dick supplied quickly. "I think she's in Europe."

"Ooh, I wonder if she's in Paris," Barbara sighed wistfully, returning to her scone without a second thought.

Alfred sighed; if only they knew...

Dick's phone suddenly started to buzz and he cursed when he glanced at the screen. "Barb, I'm so sorry, but something just came up."

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "It's summer!" she exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"It's Bruce," Dick said. "He's stuck at the office and needs an escape route," he improvised.

"Ah," she chuckled in understanding. "I guess there are some downsides to running the most successful empire in North America."

"I can see Miss Gordon out, Master Dick," Alfred offered as he put away the final washed pan.

"Thanks, Alfred," Dick said, jumping to his feet and sprinting out of the kitchen. Barbara sighed.

"Chin up, Miss Gordon," Alfred said. "He's just a lad, after all."

Barbara blushed. "Is it really that obvious?"

"In this household?" Alfred joked lightly. "No, I do not believe so."

"Sometimes that's the worse," Barbara sighed.

"Would you like a ride home, Miss Gordon?" Alfred asked, though Barbara knew it wasn't really up to her; she was getting a ride, period.

She laughed. "Sure. That'll be nice."

"Very well," Alfred said with a small smile.

Down in the Batcave, Bruce and Dick were suited up and getting ready to leave for Mount Justice.

"We have a mission, right?" Robin buzzed. "It's been forever since the Team has been on a mission!"

"You'll find out with everyone else," Batman said, though a hint of Bruce came out as he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

The Dynamic Duo stepped through the zeta-tube and arrived at the Cave a moment later.

The Team was gathered in the mission room and moved closer when Batman stepped into the room.

As Robin joined the others, Batman pulled up images of Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Vandal Savage, and Ra's al Ghul.

"We know that these four individuals are part of the criminal super-organization known as the Light," Batman said.

"So what's the mission?" Conner asked impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest.

Batman cast a side-eyed glance at the clone before continuing. "I want you to keep an eye on them for the next twelve hours."

There were collective gasps and groans from the Team, which Batman let carry on for a few moments before clearing his throat.

"Why are we doing all the legwork?" Conner demanded angrily.

"Because legwork is part of the job," Batman replied gruffly. Conner didn't look happy but he remained silent. When no one argued further, the Dark Knight waved his hand and the four images of the villains rearranged themselves to be side-by-side and each name of the Team appeared beneath them.

 _Alpha Squad: Lex Luthor: Aqualad, Kid Flash, Morgana_

 _Beta Squad: Queen Bee: Artemis, Zatanna, Aquagirl_

 _Gamma Squad: Vandal Savage: Superboy, Rocket, Tempest_

 _Delta Squad: Ra's al Ghul: Robin, Miss Martian, Green Lantern_

"The first names listed are the squad leaders," Batman explained. "Beta Squad will take the Bio-Ship to Bialya. The other squads will take the zeta-tubes across the United States." With another wave of his hand, a file icon appeared for each super villain. "This is all the information you need. You will leave within the next hour."

After the Team nodded in understanding, Batman turned on his heel and walked to the zeta. Kaldur, Artemis, Conner, and Robin each took their designated folder while the others gathered around their squad leaders.

"I thought Lex Luthor was a good guy," Morgan said as she stood with Kaldur and Wally.

"That's what everyone says," the speedster shrugged, passing along one of the electronic flies.

Morgan whistled as she began perusing the documents. "How is this not public knowledge?" she wondered out loud.

"He is very good at covering his tracks," Kaldur said, somewhat begrudgingly.

"He also has very deep pockets," Wally added. "He's bough his way out of trouble more times than I can count."

"So, who is this Queen Bee person?" Tula asked as she joined Artemis and Zatanna.

"Someone you _don't_ want to underestimate," Zatanna said. "She has the ability to make men do what she wants."

"Not just men," Artemis corrected. "She has the power to control this certain pheromone that attracts people to her. So, anyone who is attracted to women can fall under her sway."

"Which is why our squad is all female," Tula deduced.

Zatanna nodded as Artemis snorted and said dryly, "Yep."

"I can't wait to get my hands on Savage," Conner growled as he passed around the files.

"Why?" Garth questioned.

"He took someone from us," he said darkly. "We'd like to get her back."

"We can't do anything rash," Raquel tried to soothe. "Besides, this is just a recon mission," she reminded. "We're not supposed to engage."

Conner just grunted in response.

"Who's Ra's al Ghul?" Alex said the name slowly, not wanting to stumble over the strange name.

"One of Batman's oldest rivals," Robin said. "He's also the leader of the League of Assassins."

"I thought he led the League of Shadows," M'gann said, tilting her head in confusion.

"No, that's Savage's organization," he corrected with a head-shake. "The League of Assassins is more into restoring perfect balance to the world."

"Well, there are worst things—" M'gann started.

"He usually tries to do that by wiping out humanity," Robin finished.

"Oh." M'gann looked dumbstruck.

"Well, that's nice," Alex muttered sarcastically as he started skimming through the files.

"Yep," Robin said, popping the _p_.

After nearly forty minutes of studying the documents provided by Batman, each squad leader declared themselves ready.

While Artemis led her squad to the hanger, the other three groups took turns zeta-ing to their destinations.

When it was Delta's turn, Robin punched in the coordinates and stepped in first, M'gann and Alex following.

* * *

 **Hollywood, California  
** **Saturday, June 18, 2011  
** **1322 PDT**

 _"This blows,"_ Alex grumbled.

From a few stores down, Robin sighed. _"Be patient,"_ he said, sounding on the verge of frustration.

 _"You said that hours ago,"_ Alex pointed out.

He and M'gann could feel Robin's eye roll through the telepathic link. _"And that will be my answer until it's time to go."_

It was Alex's turn to roll his eyes. _"You know, I gotta be honest,"_ he said. _"When I signed up to be a superhero, I didn't sign up for spy stuff."_

 _"O-kay,"_ M'gann stepped in quickly. _"Boys, settle down. We_ will _be here for a few more hours."_

 _"No need to remind me,"_ Alex muttered.

 _"Watch it,"_ Robin snapped. M'gann sighed and shook her head.

"Is something wrong, Miss?"

"Oh, no," Megan assured the saleswoman. "Just remembered an assignment I have to do."

"Well, if there's anything you need, let me know!" she said brightly before going to the next customer.

Robin sighed and shook his head. He really should have seen this coming; while his mentor had been in a coma for the previous seven years, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, as Earth's other two Green Lanterns, had taken turns watching over him to make sure he stayed out of serious trouble and didn't get in over his head. Since they didn't want to step on Guy Gardner's toes, they never took the time to train Alex in the way of teamwork. And since he had been on his own for several years, Alex was used to doing things his way.

Still! He had no patience and it was starting to wear on Robin's nerves.

Alex could sense Robin's irritation but he just shrugged it off. He turned his attention back to the sunglasses turn-display as he pretended to browse the store.

The bell above the door chimed, announcing someone's arrival. Alex glanced over his shoulder and saw a young couple, probably his age, enter. The guy was tall, about Alex's height, with black hair cut close to the side and longer on top, dark brown eyes, and a smile that seemed familiar somehow. The girl had long strawberry blonde hair and haughty pale blue eyes.

Alex went back to looking at sunglasses, though he used the mirrors on the sides of the rack to keep an eye on the...store.

 _"M'gann, Alex."_

 _"What?"_ Alex grumbled.

 _"Regroup,"_ Robin instructed as he tried his best not to let his irritation leak into his voice (again). _"We're moving onto the next section."_

 _"Be right out!"_ M'gann chirped.

 _"Fine, fine."_

 _"You should be happy,"_ Robin pointed out. _"One more section covered means we're that much closer to finishing."_

Alex turned around to leave and ended up bumping into someone.

"Sorry!" he said quickly.

"No worries," the voice said. Alex glanced up and saw it was the guy that he had seen enter earlier. "My fault for sneaking up on you."

"Oh," Alex said, smiling a little. "Well—"

 _"Alex, now!"_

"Uh, sorry," Alex grumbled. "I just remembered, I'm late for...a thing."

The guy smiled. "I understand," he said. "Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe," Alex said before he could stop himself. "Wait, no," he corrected quickly. "I'm not from around here."

"Neither am I." With one last smile and a wink, he walked away, leaving Alex a little stunned and wondering what he meant.

 _"I know you're mad at me for interrupting your flirting,"_ Robin spoke up, _"but don't forget the mission."_

 _"How can I forget with_ you _in my head?"_ Alex grumbled.

Robin chose not to respond, instead standing from his table at the café patio and paying for his coffee. He began strolling down Hollywood Boulevard, playing the part of a tourist, stopping frequently at historic buildings or landmarks or shops and taking plenty of pictures with his phone. Soon, M'gann and Alex came into his view and the trio continued their scouting.

As the day was coming to a close, Robin finally called time.

 _"I wonder if Batman got wrong intel,"_ Alex groused as he began walking toward the zeta-tube located at the east end of Hollywood Boulevard.

 _"No,"_ Robin countered immediately. _"Batman's intel is never wrong."_

 _"Hate to break it to ya,"_ Alex said, rolling his eyes, _"but I think it was wrong this time."_

Robin shot a glare at Alex before stepping into the zeta-tube. When he arrived at the Cave, the other squads were waiting.

"Anything to report?" Batman asked the Team once M'gann and Alex were through the zeta.

"Nothing definitive," Kaldur said. "Luthor mentioned a shipment that is due in at the Metropolis port on June 23, though it is unclear exactly what will be in the ship."

Batman nodded in acknowledgement as he made a note of it on the electronic computer. "Beta?"

"It was difficult to get close to Bee," Artemis admitted. "She spent most of her time in her palace, and since we were still unsure what the status of Psimon was, we decided to play it safe and were cautious in approaching the palace."

"Artemis, the point?" Batman prompted.

"Right," she said. "With a little magic, Z was able to determine Bee is expecting a ship on June 23, too. It's expected in the port city of Alegab."

"Hm." Batman added the location to the date. He looked at Superboy.

"We didn't find Savage," he stated bluntly. He paused and tilted his head in thought. "But I did overhear someone mention June 23. A shipment, in Canada. They didn't specify a city, though."

"That's fine," Batman said. "From what Lilith was able to collect on Savage and the Academy, I should be able to narrow down a location. Robin?"

"Nothing," Robin frowned. "We didn't run into any suspicious characters—"

"I heard something," M'gann spoke up. "I didn't have time to tell Robin before we arrived."

Batman nodded. "Go ahead."

"I was doing a mental sweep periodically during our time and I came across one mind I couldn't read," she said.

"Has this happened before?" Batman asked, hiding his curiousness.

"Only once," M'gann admitted. "But I _could_ read his partner's mind," she said. "She had the date June 23 bookmarked in her mind. A shipment expected in Gotham."

"They're planning something," Robin said once Batman had finished adding M'gann's intel.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Way to state the obvious."

Batman shot Alex a Batglare-Lite before turning back to the Team. "From now until June 23, the Team and the League will be keeping a close eye on these four super-villains," he said. "Until then, get some rest."

He turned on his heel and headed toward the zeta, signaling to the Team they were dismissed.

Robin followed Batman through the zeta and took off his mask as they stepped into the Batcave.

"Hey, did anything ever come from those pictures you took in Paris?" he asked Bruce, referencing the pictures of the unknown young man in the elevators at the Paris Opera.

"No," Bruce said, taking a seat at the computer. _Liar_ , the little voice inside his head whispered.

"How did you even know to check him out?" Dick wondered.

"He had a slight accent that hinted that French wasn't his native language, despite a very good accent," Bruce said. _Not lie_. "I ran it through the voice modulator, which determined his native language is most likely Farsi."

"Right," Dick said slowly. "But you and I speak French with an American accent. What tipped you?"

"He dropped a name I recognized as being affiliated with Ra's al Ghul." _Kinda true?_

"Huh." Dick nodded, accepting his mentor's answer. "If there's nothing else, I think I'll grab a quick nap before patrol."

"Sounds good," Bruce said. "See you in a bit."

"See ya!"

Once Dick had disappeared upstairs, Bruce pulled up what he had discovered about the young man.

 _Birth Name: Rahim Qajar  
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991  
Place of Birth: Bandar-e-Bushehr, Bushehr, Iran  
Mother: Aahoo Qajar, deceased  
Father: Farsad Qajar, deceased  
Relationships: No known living relatives_

That was about as far as Bruce's investigation had gotten him, and it had been hard just to find that much. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. If he was going to get information about this Rahim, or even on the current whereabouts of Naomi, he was going to have to be more proactive. And that meant breaking his promise to Dick.

But he was willing to risk his relationship with his adopted son if it meant getting back Naomi.

* * *

 **A/N: Rahim's birth date makes him about three years older than Naomi/Daisy.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or criticism, I'm always open to what you have to say.**

 **Until next time.**


	16. First Mission

**A/N: I own nothing you recognize.**

 **WARNING: Implied sexual assault/rape and suicide is referenced in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Tirich Mir, Hindu Kush Mountain Range  
Thursday, June 23, 2011  
0810 PKT**

"You're really coming along," Yoshi Hara complimented as Daisy and Chad stood from their fighting stance and sheathed their swords.

The twins bowed in thanks as Ra's al Ghul swept into the room.

"Daisy, Chadwick," he said. "I have a mission for you."

Daisy did her best to contain her excitement, but her eyes grew bright with anticipation.

"There are new clothes in your room," Ra's said. "Get washed up and dressed, then meet out front" he instructed.

They nodded and hurried out of the training room.

"Excited?" Chad asked as they sped walked down the hall.

"Uh, yeah!" Daisy exclaimed, a wide grin breaking across her face. "I'm _so_ ready to get out in the field."

"See you in a few, sis," he grinned when they reached their rooms. She burst through the doors and ran into her bathroom, stripping as she did. After a quick shower, she walked back to her room and found the clothes laid out on her bed.

She stepped out of her room dressed in fitted olive green jeans, a plain white tank top, and tan suede ankle boots. Draped on her arm was a beige bomber jacket trimmed with pale pink and her long hair was in a neat French braid.

She found Chad waiting outside in narrow-legged white jeans, a pale blue short sleeved button down, and black dress sneakers trimmed in white. He was leaning casually against the side of the mountain, one foot pressed to the stone as his head was tilted toward the early morning sun. His black leather jacket was thrown nonchalantly over his shoulder, holding onto it by the collar.

"Look at us," Daisy said as she approached him. "We could be catalogue models."

Chad chuckled as he opened his eyes to face her. "We do look good," he winked.

"Do you know what we're doing?" she asked as a League member walked up to them and started to escort them to the waiting helicopter.

"It's here, in the folder," Chad said as they got buckled into their seats. Daisy took the folder from her brother and began flipping through it.

Once she was done, she glanced at Chad with a raised eyebrow. "Seems...I don't know. A bit mundane, don't you think?"

Chad just shrugged. "It's a mission," he said simply. "As you saw, Ra's was very clear in his instructions."

"Yeah," Daisy muttered as she looked through the pages again. She put the folder away and leaned back in the seat. "Gotham, huh? I hear they have quite the bat problem."

* * *

 **Mount Justice  
Thursday, June 23, 2011  
1237 EDT**

The Team stood in the mission room, waiting for Batman to begin the mission briefing. With him were Aquaman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow.

"All right." Everyone's attention turned to the Dark Knight, who went to the center of the training circle and pulled up nearly a dozen holographic screens. "As you remember, you went on a mission five days ago, the objective to keep an eye on arguably the four most powerful and influential members of The Light. We learned of simultaneous port shipments in four cities tonight. Because of who we are expecting to face, one of us—" Batman gestured to himself and the three Leaguers "—will be joining each squad."

He waved his hand through the air and the holographic pages rearranged themselves in front of him by city. Beneath each city were the squads.

 _Alpha Squad: Metropolis: Aqualad, Kid Flash, Morgana; Green Arrow_

 _Beta Squad: Alegab: Artemis, Zatanna, Aquagirl; Black Canary_

 _Gamma Squad: St. John; Superboy, Rocket, Tempest; Aquaman_

 _Delta Squad: Gotham: Robin, Miss Martian, Green Lantern; Batman_

If anyone noticed that Batman was the only Leaguer on the same squad as his protégé, or that he and Robin were in their city, no one mentioned it. They knew how uptight the Dark Knight was about anyone other than him and a select few roaming the streets of his city, so they knew better than to bring it up.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by a call from Penny-One. He held up his hand and stepped away from the group.

"Sir, I know this is the most inopportune time, but I'm afraid Miss Naomi has reappeared."

"Understood," he sighed. "Batman out." Once he had disconnected the call, he turned to Black Canary. "I have to leave," he said. "Call Wonder Woman; she'll be joining Delta Squad."

She nodded in understanding and took over as Batman walked to the zeta. Robin frowned after him, wondering what could be going on that would cause Batman to leave him behind, regardless how important this mission was.

"All right, let's see..." Black Canary said, familiarizing herself with the squads and locations. "All ports will be hit at ten o'clock in the evening eastern time, so we'll coordinate our departures accordingly." She waved her hand through the air and reorganized the screens before doling out time slots.

Once everyone understood their assignments, they split off into their squads, the Leaguers joining them.

Wonder Woman arrived a moment later and she went to Black Canary to get caught up with the mission. Once she was brought up to speed, she joined Delta Squad.

"Greetings," she smiled warmly.

"Whoa," Alex whispered, his eyes going wide as he stared straight into Wonder Woman's clear blue eyes. He knew he wasn't the tallest person alive, standing at six feet, but he didn't often meet women who was also six feet tall. Five-ten, maybe, but six feet? Never.

"Hi!" M'gann said brightly.

"Did Batman tell you why he got called away?" Robin asked.

"I'm sorry, no," Wonder Woman said, shaking her head. "Just that an emergency elsewhere in Gotham pulled him away."

Robin frowned but nodded. Wonder Woman pulled up the details for the mission, and the squad quickly got to work.

* * *

That night, Robin stood on the roof of one of the many warehouses along the docks, Miss Martian and Green Lantern stationed at two others along the waterfront. Wonder Woman was slowly sweeping the docks via air.

 _"I got something,"_ Robin said suddenly after about half an hour of waiting. _"North end of the dock. About two dozen League of Assassins."_

 _"Acknowledged,"_ Wonder Woman informed. _"We shall converge on your point, Robin."_ She, along with Miss Martian and Green Lantern, joined him on his roof a minute later.

 _"They're unloading the ship,"_ Robin supplied.

 _"Are there any weaknesses in their defense?"_ the Amazonian warrior questioned.

Robin nodded and pointed to a spot just beyond the others' line of sight. _"As they move the product from the ship into the trucks, they turn a corner that blocks the view from the ships to the trucks and vice versa."_

 _"Then that is where we will start,"_ Wonder Woman declared. She glanced at Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder, a small smile on her face. _"Well done."_

Robin nodded before readying his grapple gun. He paused and glanced between Green Lantern and Miss Martian. _"Miss M, can you levitate G.L.?"_ he asked.

The young Lantern scowled. _"I can fly,"_ he deadpanned.

 _"Obviously,"_ Robin couldn't help but say sarcastically. _"But you can't fly without glowing like a beacon. If we tip ourselves too soon, we lose the element of surprise and we lose the only advantage we might have."_

Green Lantern was so surprised that Robin—trained by the Bat himself—had admitted that they were possibly out of their league when it came to fighting these people that he just nodded. Miss Martian faded from view and he felt his feet lift off from the roof.

"Whoa." The small gasp that escaped his lips was admittedly a little embarrassing—he could fly on his own, for Pete's sake!—but the sensation of flying on someone else's power, someone else's will, was foreign and not entirely welcome.

 _"Let's go,"_ Robin said through the mental link. He shot his grapple gun and the others followed through the air.

They landed on the roof of the warehouse that Robin had pointed out and quickly crouched before scurrying to the edge.

Sure enough, the trucks were completely out of the line of sight from the ships, and about a dozen agents were with one or the other at all times, meaning they could break off into two groups and take a dozen at a time instead of two dozen all at once. They were still up against some of the best-trained assassins in the world, though.

After relaying his thoughts to Delta Squad and once they nodded in confirmation, they went to work, Robin and Miss Martin taking care of the ship and Green Lantern and Wonder Woman covering the trucks.

Miss Martian was quick to send the four League of Assassin members standing guard on the docks far enough into the ocean that it would take them a few minutes to swim back, but not far enough that they would tire before reaching shore. Robin swung his grapple and landed on the deck of the ship.

"{It's the Bat brat!}" one yelled in Arabic before drawing her bow and arrow.

"I'm so flattered you remember me!" Robin exclaimed as he ducked into a roll when the Assassin's arrow severed his grapple line. He sprang to his feet and immediately ducked the dow that would have decapitated him had it been a sword. He grunted as someone kicked him in the back, causing him to stumble forward.

"{The Martian's with him!}" someone further down the deck shouted.

"{On it!}" several responded, including the archer that Robin was currently exchanging blows. She quickly pirouette out of Robin's reach and another Assassin took her place.

 _"Miss M, they know you're here!"_ Robin warned as the blonde assassin who had taken the archer's place blocked his side kick and retaliated by drawing her sheathed knives and slashed at him.

Robin did a handspring to get out of the reach of the Blonde with Knives as well as the dark-skinned male who had a sword.

With the four Miss Martian had tossed into the ocean, that left eight on the ship. Apparently, they decided the Martian was the greatest threat, as five had turned their attention to trying to shoot her down with fire-tipped arrows, leaving just three focused on Robin: Blondie, Sword-Wielder, and surprisingly, a masked teen. The long neck of her shirt was pulled up over her mouth and nose, leaving just her dark eyes exposed, dancing behind her equally dark hair, which was unrestrained around her face.

They triangulated around Robin, each standing ready. His eyes flashed between the three, doing his best to keep them in his line of sight at all times.

The blonde with the facón knives jumped forward first. Each blade was roughly the length of her forearms and she held them with the blade parallel to her arms, indicating she would be slashing more than stabbing.

Robin ducked under Blondie's first swipe and then was forced to roll out of the way when she flipped her second knife in her hand in an attempt to impale his throat.

 _So much for my predictions_ , Robin grumbled as the double-edge ida of the Sword-Wielder caught his cape and ripped it. The Boy Wonder reached into his utility belt and pulled out smoke pellets. As the Assassins coughed, Robin shot his grapple to the control tower of the ship.

"{Deal with the Martian,}" the masked Assassin instructed below him. "{I'll take the bird.}"

The two nodded and dashed off. Robin watched as below him, she simply studied him for a moment before breaking into a run and leaping at the side of the tower, catching the sill of one of the many windows. In a flash, she swung her body side to side to gain momentum to reach the next window sill. She kept doing that with impossible ease and grace until she reached the flat roof.

She landed in a crouch in front of Robin, who pulled out his rarely-used eskrimas. In response, she unsheathed twin wakizashi swords, twirling them in her hands as she slowly stood.

For a long moment, they stood, facing each other, neither willing to jump into action first. Finally, Robin, feeling antsy, struck first.

She easily blocked his eskrimas with her swords, sticking to defense as Robin slowly started backing her up to the edge of the roof. He grew wary the closer they got; what was she planning?

His question was answered when at the last second, before she could step off the edge, she ducked under Robin's swing into a roll. She popped up behind him and as he whirled around, kicked him in the chest.

Robin's eyes widened as he felt his feet leave solid ground. He dropped his eskrima to reach for his grapple gun and he fired wildly. He watched it sail for the roof's overhang, watched it stick, and watched in utter surprise when the Assassin slashed at the cord before it could grow taut.

As he tumbled for the deck of the ship once again, only one thing was on Robin's mind: _That should not have been possible_.

One of the first things Bruce had taught Dick before Dick became Robin was the equipment Batman used and how it was superior to the common man's equivalent.

When it came time to talk about the grapple line, Bruce had pointed out that because the cable was reinforced with titanium threads, the only way the line could be severed was if it were cut while limp. If anyone tried cutting the cable while taut, it would be impossible.

So how had this Assassin known that? It wasn't like Bruce went around announcing his equipments' weaknesses, regardless how close he and Ra's al Ghul might have been. So _how_ had she known?

Unless...

Unless they had been wrong this whole time and Naomi wasn't with Savage at all. Could she be with Ra's al Ghul and his League of Assassins?

 _"Robin!"_ Miss Martian exclaimed in his head just before she caught him in her telekinetic hold, inches from crashing into the deck. _"Are you okay?"_ she asked worriedly.

 _"Yeah, thanks,"_ Robin sighed once he was upright and on his feet. He glanced up to see the Assassin, still standing on the roof of the ship tower. She whistled and an arrow zipped through the air in response, glinting in the artificial light before lodging itself in the side of the bridge. She untied a black tie around her waist and swung to the window sill below her before looping the tie on the cable and sliding down to the deck.

 _"Here we go again,"_ Robin warned as Miss Martian floated his lost eskrima to his hand.

At the trucks, it had been a quick spot of Green Lantern. The archers lobbed a volley of arrows, and while Green Lantern created a glowing green shield, Wonder Woman used her enhanced reflexes to deflect the arrows with her silver cuffs.

Once they were on the ground, Wonder Woman reached for her lasso while Green Lantern used his ring to create a claw that shoved the four Assassins into the back of a tuck and closed the doors behind them, crimping the metal in the process.

"{What the hell is a Lantern and an Amazon doing here?}" one yelled in frustration. He drew his bō staff and charged at Green Lantern.

"{Focus on the Amazon,}" someone else instructed. The bottom half of his face was obscured by a cloth, but his dark eyes were steely and somehow familiar. "{You and you,}" he said, pointing at two Assassins, "{you're with me. The rest of you, focus on the Princess.}"

"Guess you're the one calling the shots," Green Lantern called, despite not understanding a word the leader was saying.

"Perhaps you are not quite as dumb as you appear," he quipped in English, his eyebrow cocking.

"Gee, thanks," Green Lantern grumbled. He aimed his ring at the three Assassins and created a weighted net, but they easily rolled out of the way before coming up shooting.

A red-headed male with an impressive bow fired a few arrows at Green Lantern, who managed to duck most of the projectiles, though on managed to skim his side. He hissed in pain before momentarily falling as his concentration broke.

The leader noticed and his eyes narrowed. "{Break his concentration long enough and he might be grounded. I would bet my room he is a puppy without that ring.}"

The red-headed archer smirked. "{I'll take that bet,}" he said before returning his full attention to Green Lantern.

The third Assassin, a female with light brown hair, sheathed her stilettos and ran to the front of the truck, jumping on the cab hood before landing in a crouch on top of the long metal cargo trailer. She drew a handful of small black marbles from the pouch from her waist and after squeezing them briefly in her hand, flung them at Green Lantern.

He realizes too late what those marbles were and before he could fly away, they started exploding. Green Lantern had enough time to create a protective bubble around him, but the force of the small explosions knocked him around. As the smoke cleared, he lowered his shield, which proved to be a mistake. One last marble was flung his way. This one, though, was a plain steel marble, and it caught Green Lantern just behind his left ear.

He grunted as he felt his vision swim and he barely registered the fact he was losing altitude. As Green Lantern passed the back of the truck, the brunette tacked him mid-air. He felt the air escape his lungs at the impact, and she quickly adjusted her body so that Green Lantern took the force of the short fall. She leapt off him before he could recover and dew her stilettos again.

Before they could attack, a golden lasso sailed through the air and wrapped around the archer's bow. It was yanked from his hand and into Wonder Woman's, who easily snapped it in half. She moved quicker than their eyes could follow and the archer suddenly found himself flying backward and into the side of the truck. He dropped to the ground with a groan and didn't move.

The brunette readied her stilettos but in a flash, Wonder Woman's hand was clamped around her wrist. She easily picked her up and flew to the top of a lamp post, where she tied the Assassin up with her lasso.

Wonder Woman turned to the leader, whose eyes flashed with frustration.

"Maharib!" a new, female voice called. The leader turned and saw his fellow Assassins in retreat. The girl who had called out also had the lower half of her face covered, and Green Lantern wondered sluggishly if she was another leader. He vaguely noticed the similar eyes shared by the two masked Assassins and wondered if they were related. Siblings, maybe?

"This is not over," the masked male declared before turning on his heel and following after the other Assassins.

"Are you okay?" Wonder Woman asked Green Lantern once the dock was Assassin-free. She offered him a hand, which he took with a groan.

"I'll be okay," he said, his hand covering the shallow cut on his ribs.

"Be sure to have Black Canary check that when we return to the base," Wonder Woman said seriously as Robin and Miss Martian joined them.

"We scared them off," Robin stated. "But not before they managed to take one of the trucks."

"But we salvaged the majority of the cargo," Miss Martian said optimistically.

"Indeed," Wonder Woman agreed. "This night was not a complete waste."

Robin just nodded, his mind still reeling. "Let's get back," he said. "I need to talk to Batman."

* * *

 **The Batcave  
Thursday, June 23, 2011  
2307 EDT**

Bruce sat heavily in his chair, the computer screen in front of him loaded with a copy of the video tape that caught the gruesome scene of the murder of Joseph Harrison. He had arrived at the scene too late and was left with gathering what forensic evidence he could. It hadn't taken a long time, though, to discover the murderers, ad Batman hadn't needed the tape to tell him what he had deduced.

Now, though, with Dick safely out of the house, Bruce took a deep breath and started the video.

Naomi, along with two unidentified males, walked into the penthouse suite of the Gotham Royale, a renovated five-star hotel in downtown Gotham that dated to the Civil War.

"Thank you," Naomi said to the older man once Joseph Harrison was secured, unconscious, to the desk chair.

"No need to thank you," the man smiled. "I am simply doing my job." He nodded at Naomi's partner, who appeared to be her age and Chinese as well, before departing.

"There are clothes in the closet," he said once the man left. Naomi disappeared into the bedroom and emerged a few minutes later dressed in all black, her hair now in a neat French braid.

Harrison was still unconscious, his wrists zip-tied to the arms of the chair and his ankles bound together. Naomi dragged a cushioned chair from the living area over to him and dropped into the seat, facing her captive.

The young man with her had vanished to change as well, and when he reappeared, he was dressed similarly to Naomi, in all black. She was twirling a throwing knife in her hand absentmindedly, looking bored.

"Can we wake him up?" she asked, glancing over at him, who took a seat on the coffee table to her left.

"Oh, looks like you won't have to," he said, nodding in their prisoner's direction. Naomi turned and found him bobbing his head as he regained consciousness.

"My head," he said groggily.

"In a few minutes, your head will be the least of your worries," Naomi informed him, almost gleefully.

Harrison's head snapped up and his eyes widened when he saw her. "You!" he exclaimed. "Wha-what's going on?!" he demanded.

"You're in no position to be making demands, Mr. Harrison," Naomi's partner replied calmly.

"Look, if you want money, I have money!" he said desperately. "Take everything in my wallet! Take my watch, my cufflinks!"

"We're not here for money," the young man assured in the same calm voice.

"Th-then what do you want?" Harrison asked. "I didn't do anything!"

"But you and I both know that's not true," Naomi hissed, her dark brown eyes now resembling black marbles—cold, hard, and dangerous.

Her partner placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear that the camera didn't pick up. She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"You're lucky my brother here is nicer than I am," she said coldly to Harrison. She turned back to her—did she say _brother?_ —and said, "Chad, you better leave me something I can play with."

Harrison let out a very undignified whimper at her choice of words, not that Bruce could really blame him.

"L-look," he said weakly, "I-I swear, I don't know what you want!"

Chad— _her brother?!_ —and Naomi switched seats, though she continued to watch Harrison like a hawk.

"I'm sure you think you're telling the truth," Chad started easily. "But the truth, the _actual_ truth, is you are a very vile, disgusting person who should pay for his actions." His tone was light and a smile never left his lips, even though his words were dark and menacing.

"Wh-what is it you say I did?" Harrison asked timidly, his eyes constantly flipping to Noami, who sat on the coffee table in the lotus position.

Chad stood up and Harrison flinched, but the black-clad teen just walked briefly out of the frame and returned with a folder. He sat down once again and opened the manila file. He picked up a picture of a pretty young woman with chocolate brown hair and light brown eyes. She was smiling, showing off straight white teeth and dimples.

"Clarissa Mavin," Chad said, holding the image so Harrison could see. "Just twenty in this picture. Majored in history, with the dream of becoming a museum curator." He replaced the picture in his folder and produced another one, this one strawberry-blonde with blue eyes.

"Aubrey Davidson," he named. "Twenty-one, here. She was undeclared at this point, but she loved English literature and kids."

The pictures never seemed to end. Each girl was between the ages of twenty and twenty-eight, and each came with her own history lesson. Bruce watched as Harrison seemed to grow paler and paler with each image.

"Do you want to know where each of them are now?" Chad aksed next. Harrison shook his head frantically.

Naomi gasped dramatically and her hand shot up in the air like she was student excited about answering a question. "I do, I do!" she said with an exaggerated smile.

"The first girl, Clarissa," Chad said, holding up a new image for Harrison to see. He clamped his eyes shut, though, and under his breath whispered, "Oh, God, oh, God."

Chad glanced at Naomi, who beamed and hopped to her feet. She stepped lightly around Harrison and placed her hands on his shoulders. He jumped violently, his eyes flashing open and landing on the image in front of him.

"Oh, God," he repeated weakly.

"God can't save you," Naomi whispered in his ear, placing her hands on either side of his face to keep him from moving. She glanced at him and saw his eyes were closed once more. She tsked like she was scolding a child. "Joey, if you can't keep your eyes open for me, I'll have to staple them to that perfect brow bone of yours."

Harrison whimpered but slowly opened his eyes. "There we go," Naomi cooed. "Now, be a good boy and keep them open." He nodded, looking absolutely petrified.

"Clarissa, here," Chad began again, "killed herself just two years later when she was visiting her parents for the winter holidays. Can you imagine," he said sadly, "being so glad to have your daughter home for the holidays only to find her dead in your bathtub?

"Aubrey, on the other hand," he continued, "handled herself quite differently. She grew depressed, started drinking, and eventually dropped out of school. I believe you can find her in The Bowery, uptown. You know what The Bowery is known for, yes?"

He didn't wait for Harrison to answer, instead plowing forward. Every picture Chad showed Harrison earlier was now accompanied by the tragic story of the young woman in question. There were some deaths, by suicide or otherwise; a couple of near-fatal overdoses and a prostitution bust. Only a handful had been able to get past the dark event of their past and fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

"Now do you see what we see when we look at you?" Naomi whispered, finally letting go of Harrison's head. It dropped as his shoulders began to shake with sobs.

"Yes," he blubbered. "Yes, yes."

Bruce saw the whole picture now, too, and he quickly typed in the girls' names and Joseph Harrison's. He sat back as the records came back; everything they were saying was true. There were a handful of official reports filed with the police, but mostly the transgressions had never surfaced, just in passing comments made by the young women or in emails and text messages. The reports that had been filed were dismissed before the ink had dried thanks to Harrison's connections. Nothing had been made public and it was forgotten.

But apparently not by Ra's, who, for some reason, had taken the time to dig up this man's past and hand him over to Naomi and her brother. Why, though?

"So now you understand why we did what he did," Chad said, his tone still laidback and easy.

"And you'll understand why I did this." Naomi shoved a gag in Harrison's mouth and his eyes widened at the foreign object. In a flash, a kunai was driven in the back of his hand. Harrison's eyes teared up again, this time with pain, and his cries were muffled.

"Shh, shh," Naomi soothed, stroking his hair in a loving manner. "It's okay," she said gently. "You'll be just fine." A dark glint came to her eyes as she said this, and that was enough for Bruce. He knew how this would end.

He closed the video and was once again alone in the dark.

* * *

 **A/N: Long chapter, oh my goodness!**

 **Was that a bit of flirting between Alex and the mystery boy in Hollywood?**

 **Who're the masked Assassins?**

 **Naomi, murderer?**

 **Thoughts, feelings?**

 **On that note, I want to say that I plan on posting the first chapter of my Avatar: The Last Airbender story sometime this week. For now, it's just a "here's this story, what do you think, would you like me to continue?" So, if you are a fan of one of the best animated series on earth, be on the look-out for that!**

 **Until next time.**


	17. UpdateA Lark's Rising

**So, it's happening again...I started reworking Demon Queen. As I'm working on the sequel, I realized I was putting more emphasis on Naomi's connection to Ra's al Ghul over her connection to Vandal Savage, and that the connection between the two was kinda weak.**

 **I love the character I created and I soooo wanna share everything that goes on in the sequel, but it just feels...poorly executed. Demon Queen, in retrospect, is trying to be too different, at least from my vantage point. It feels rushed and choppy and just not my best possible work.**

 **The following content will be part of the reworked episode Independence Day. I don't know when I'll start posting the newest revision of Demons, but it probably won't be soon, to be completely honest.**

 **If you're interested in seeing how I change Naomi's history, then stay tuned. I understand if you decide to completely disregard me after this. I never wanted to be that person that started a sequel and couldn't follow through, but I turned out to be that person anyway.**

 **I'm so sorry, and I want to extend such a huge thank you to everyone who has stuck around this far. I hope I can reward your patience with a revamped story that does Naomi and her new backstory justice, as well new scenes that take place during the Young Justice comics, which I now have access to and really want to explore.**

 **Anyway, here is the summary, title, and part of the first episode, Independence Day.**

* * *

A Lark's Rising

Naomi Sanders was ready to graduate. She was sixteen, and far too old to continue as Lark. Luckily for her, Batman provided her the perfect opportunity to prove to him she was ready to branch out on her own. All she had to do was join a group of teen heroes. How hard could that be? Harder than expected, as a sinister plot begins to unfold, and Naomi's true lineage is revealed.

* * *

 **Location: Wayne Manor, Gotham City  
Date: Sunday, July 4, 2010  
Time: 0830 EDT**

"Wakey, wakey!"

The lump under the covers groaned and turned over as Dick Grayson burst into the room.

"C'mon, Mimi!" the raven-haired teen exclaimed, knowing it would get a rise out of his older sister.

True to form, Naomi Sanders sat up and shot Dick a Batglare beneath her tangled mess of dark hair.

"You know Bruce will be more likely to let you 'graduate' if you prove you can work well with others," he pointed out as he jumped onto her bed.

Naomi snorted. "Yeah, says the man who says he works best alone."

"But he has us," Dick grinned.

"And we have him," she finished with a smile. "Now, get out! I need to get dressed."

Dick did a backflip off the bed before practically skipping out of her room. Naomi shook her head with a slight chuckle as she stretched and finally climbed out from under the covers.

In the years since his family's murder, Naomi had seen the drastic change in Dick's demeanor. When he had first been taken in by Bruce, he had been quiet, withdrawn, and difficult to cheer up. Now, though, Naomi found _he_ was her source of pick-me-ups whenever she was feeling down, and she couldn't be more grateful.

After brushing out her long hair, Naomi stripped and stepped into the steaming shower. She washed quickly before dressing in a plain light gray dress and as she had since she had found it in her room on her birthday, slipped the silver chain over her head and tucked it into the neckline of her dress. She padded barefoot over the carpeted hallways as she made her way downstairs.

"Mornin' all," she said when she entered the kitchen. She kissed Bruce on the cheek and ruffled Dick's hair as she passed them, on her way to her usual spot at the kitchen island.

"The usual, Miss Naomi?" Alfred asked by the stove. She nodded with a smile and Alfred began cracking eggs.

While Bruce read the newspaper and sipped on his morning coffee, Dick was on his phone, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and Naomi assumed he was playing a game.

After she poured herself a glass of apple juice, Naomi pulled out one of the many books she had stashed around the manor.

"You know you can find those online," Dick said, glancing up from his phone with a raised eyebrow, only to scowl as he lost his game.

"Yeah, but there's nothing quite like a good ol' fashioned book," she shrugged. "Isn't that right, Alfred?"

"Quite true, Miss Naomi," Alfred answered as he placed a plat in front of Naomi. She produced a nifty little book stand to allow her to read hands-free wile she ate, and the rest of breakfast passed in silence.

Once Dick had finished his meal, he jumped to his feet and took off.

"Where are you headed in such a hurry?" Bruce called after him.

"Today's the day!" Dick shouted over his shoulder. "Come on!"

Bruce glanced at his watch before turning to his oldest ward. "How'd you get him to stop mentioning it every other minute for the past week?"

"I made a deal with him," she smirked. "He couldn't say anything until after breakfast July 4 or I wouldn't get him the game he's been dying for since it was announced."

"What a great sister," Bruce chuckled.

Naomi shrugged innocently. "I try," she said sweetly. She gulped down the rest of her apple juice before storing her book and bracket. "See ya down there."

The elevator finally came to a stop at the top of a set of wide, shallow steps carved directly into the stone. Bats could be heard chittering softly in the distance, and dripping water was amplified by the large, cavernous space.

"Finally!" Dick called as Naomi came down the steps, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to untangle the silky strands.

"Relax," she said, rolling her eyes. "We have a few hours before we're scheduled to meet up with everyone."

"I can't relax!" Dick exclaimed before beginning a punching sequence on the punching bag in front of him. "I'm _so_ ready!"

"Patience, Dick," Bruce said from the top of the stairs.

"Hey, I tried to tell him," Naomi shrugged as she walked quickly to the changing rooms, regretting not at least wearing shoes.

She reappeared a moment later dressed in work-out leggings, comfortable sneakers, and a black oversized Gotham U hoodie. As she walked along the catwalk, Naomi swept her hair out of her face into a high, messy bun.

"Come on," she said to Dick, walking over to the control panel that regulated the simulator. "Let's work some of that energy out of you."

Once Dick successfully defeated the holographic combatants, Naomi powered down the simulator and stepped onto the training mat.

"Wanna go, one on one?" she asked.

"You bet," Dick smirked. "I'll get you back for the last match!"

"I'd like to see you try," Naomi taunted playfully. "Now, come on, less talking, more fighting!"

Bruce glanced away from the Batcomputer to watch his two charges spar. Naomi was much more fluid in her moves than Dick, making it appear as though she was dancing. The younger teen's strength in fighting lay with his adeptness in adding gymnastic elements into his fighting style, thanks to his circus background.

Given their shared small forms, they were light on their feet and lightning-fast, giving them a speed advantage over their usually much larger and thus slower foes.

As had been the case since Dick started training to become Robin, Naomi had the upper hand in terms of years of experience. Not only was she older by almost three years and been Lark longer than Dick had been Robin, she was also a naturally fast learner, especially in terms of bodily mechanics. If she worked on a new move, she could have it down in a matter of days. She was also good about helping Dick if he was having trouble with a particular move and Bruce wasn't available to monitor or spar, which was more often than not.

The two siblings-by-happenstance battled it out on the training mat, Naomi getting the upper hand the majority of the time. Dick was good-natured about it, though, seeing every loss as a chance to learn and improve his own skill.

After Dick checked the clock for the millionth time since arriving in the Batcave, Naomi rolled her eyes and dropped her fighting stance. "Just get changed," she said. "I know you want to."

"You know me so well!" Dick grinned as he took off for the dressing room. He appeared in record time in his Robin uniform, sans his domino mask. "All yours!" he said as he skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Oh, guess I'm getting dressed now," Naomi said sarcastically, walking toward the changing rooms again.

"Hurry up!" Dick yelled after her. "It's already 11:40!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!"

Naomi shook her head fondly as she closed the door behind her and stripped. She redid her bun and took a quick shower before drying and getting dressed.

She emerged from the dressing room in a rush, the front of her uniform still unzipped, revealing her black sports bra, and her domino mask hung from her utility belt. She quickly tucked her necklace into her sorts bra before pulling up the zipper, figuring it was quicker to do that than to take it off and put it in one of the pouches of her utility belt, like she usually did when she became Lark. Once she was decent, she began gathering her long hair in a bun at the base of her skull, holding it in place with _many_ bobby pins.

"Just in time," Batman said from beside the Batmobile, Robin already bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. "Mister Freeze was just spotted, heading toward Midtown."

She placed her domino mask over her eyes and Lark smirked. "Freeze is gonna regret ruining Dickie-Bird's big day."

* * *

 **So there is the first part of the first chapter. As you can see, Naomi is getting a major background change, staring first with her living with Bruce instead of the Scotts, who will make appearances, just not as her adopted parents. I think it's just easier if I have her with Bruce and Dick all the time, instead of trying to insert a new family. It also gives me a chance to explore Naomi's and Dick's sibling relationship, which was really only revealed in the latter half of Demon Queen, as they started out as a little adversarial.**

 **I also renamed Naomi's hero identity, since Lilith was supposed to represent the darkness she had experienced with Vandal Savage and the Academy. But since she doesn't have that same darkness (yet, anyway), it seemed appropriate to give her a new name.**

 **This also means for the time being, Lost and Found will be listed with a "On Hiatus" tag in the summary.**

 **This same chapter/message/sneak peak will be posted in the other YJ story.**

 **In the meantime, I have an Avatar: The Last Airbender fic with the first handful of chapters posted. Check it out, if you're interested.**

 **Until Naomi's return...**


End file.
